photo: Jan van de Kam
If black-tailed godwits (Limosa limosa limosa) manage to find the right spot to breed in Holland (and there are some, still!) several predators are their neighbours. Raising chicks is a demanding job, so godwits help each other by making calls. After the breeding season, the lucky ones indulge themselves in the natural wetlands and the rice fields of the Senegal Delta. All of these experiences have been investigated and carefully described by Bird Eyes (affiliated) godwit researchers.
– Are they even there? How agri-environment schemes investments reach their target species in Dutch dairy-farmland, the case of meadow birds.
In the European Union, Agri-environment schemes (AES) and site-protected areas are key tools for biodiversity conservation. Luis Barba a.o. analysed the diversity of AES applied, their combinations, monetary compensation schemes, coverage areas, and the godwit population they host compared to site-protected areas (managed by conservation organizations) and intensive agriculture.
– Uncovering the secret life of mammalian meadow bird predators in the Dutch dairy farming landscape.
What species lurk in the dark, unseen by human eyes, and prey upon the nests and chicks of meadow birds at night? Many, but their influence on nest predation was variable per year and per species. Except for the fox, the presence of predators in the landscape does not directly mean they will also eat a lot of godwit eggs. Rienk Fokkema explains how cameras uncovered the night life of godwit predators.
– Understanding black-tailed godwit communication at the nest through 24/7 audio recordings.
In the grasslands of a Dutch dairy farm, godwits communicate at their nests in ways that balance the need for coordination with partners and young with the risk of attracting predators. Ondrej Belfín identified five main call types used by godwits at the nest.
– Remote sensing and GPS tracking reveal temporal shifts in habitat use in nonbreeding Black-tailed Godwits
Taylor Craft discusses the use of GPS tracking and satellite imagery to uncover the lives of Black-tailed Godwits in the Senegal Delta.
