Do Corncrakes Crex crex benefit from unmown refuge strips?
SUSANNE ARBEITER (a1), ANGELA HELMECKE (a1) and JOCHEN BELLEBAUM (a2)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000447
Published online: 05 January 2017
Abstract
Corncrakes Crex crex mainly breed in grassland, where they are threatened by mowing. Conservation requires delayed mowing or modified mowing methods. In large fields, it has been suggested that leaving strips of uncut grass may reduce mortality, especially of unfledged chicks. We attended mowing operations (2012–2015) in the Lower Oder Valley National Park in north-eastern Germany, where 10-m refuge strips were introduced. We documented the escape behaviour of adults and chicks and their use of refuge strips by observations and radio-telemetry. Flightless chicks crossed significantly shorter distances of mown area (< 20 m) than adults. When mowing from the outside inwards, chicks were not able to successfully escape to the field edge at > 31 m, adults at > 60 m distance to the edge and returned to the unmown block.
Continued
SUSANNE ARBEITER (a1), ANGELA HELMECKE (a1) and JOCHEN BELLEBAUM (a2)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000447
Published online: 05 January 2017
Abstract
Corncrakes Crex crex mainly breed in grassland, where they are threatened by mowing. Conservation requires delayed mowing or modified mowing methods. In large fields, it has been suggested that leaving strips of uncut grass may reduce mortality, especially of unfledged chicks. We attended mowing operations (2012–2015) in the Lower Oder Valley National Park in north-eastern Germany, where 10-m refuge strips were introduced. We documented the escape behaviour of adults and chicks and their use of refuge strips by observations and radio-telemetry. Flightless chicks crossed significantly shorter distances of mown area (< 20 m) than adults. When mowing from the outside inwards, chicks were not able to successfully escape to the field edge at > 31 m, adults at > 60 m distance to the edge and returned to the unmown block.
Continued
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