Meadow Birds under Waning Traditional Pasture Animal Husbandry

Abstract

As a result of long-term studies in the areas of abandoned meadows and grasslands in Arkhangelsk, Novgorod, Ivanovo, and Moscow regions, we found the main peculiarities of bird population trends in the process of demutational succession: from scattered weed associations to domination of scrub and woods. The main changes in bird communities and numbers of passerines, waders and Corncrake Crex crex, and their likely reasons for various stages of plant succession are discussed. It is established that the most negative trends in ground-nesting bird species for which short-grass habitats are optimum are supported owing to cattle grazing and haymaking: northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa), redshank (Tringa totanus), skylark (Alauda arvensis), and yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava). The variously directed population trends of two Motacillidae species are shown: an increase in numbers and range expansion of the citrine wagtail (Motacilla citreola), which prefers abandoned swampy meadows, and a decrease in numbers of the meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis), which prefers low vegetation in used grasslands. The factors delaying demutational succession and hampering the decline in numbers of some passerines and waders are revealed. The reasons for the likely continuation of reduction of hay meadows and pasture areas in the forest zone, which aggravate negative trends of the meadow bird numbers, are discussed.