Land Management for Skylarks Alauda arvensis
18 October 2024You can support this iconic farmland bird by
- Retaining winter stubbles
- Allowing any permanent grassland to be relatively undisturbed during nesting time
- Providing beetlebanks or conservation headlands to protect invertebrates as a food source
- Applying for an Agri environment scheme to help make your farm more wildlife friendly
Description
The skylark was once a common sight on many farms but is now in serious decline. This small brown bird has a prominent head crest and white edged tail feathers. The chest is streaked, and the belly is a uniform cream/buff. The skylark is most well known for its flying display and its distinctive song.
Skylark ©Roamingowlsdotcom from Pixabay
Status of Skylarks in the UK
The Skylark is one of 19 species that make up the UK Farmland Bird group. As a group, these species are amongst our most declining birds, and Skylark numbers have fallen steeply since the mid-1970s. The Skylark is a UK BAP species, listed as a UK bird of Conservation Concern and a species of European Conservation Concern.
Skylark in flight © Image by Kev from Pixabay
Where they are found:
In winter, Skylarks are widespread, particularly in coastal areas being frequently found on rough grazings and moorlands. During the breeding season they spread out across the uplands. They breed most frequently on moorland but also found on arable farmland, rough pasture and bog.
The Skylark has been declining rapidly, the UK population showed a 15% decrease between 1995 and 2000 (BTO trends) and declined by 63% since 1967.
Threats to Scotland’s Skylarks
The decline is caused mainly by the change in agricultural practice over time, as many farmers moved from spring to winter cereals. Also intensification of grassland management has played a role as less intensive grasslands, which support abundant insects, are declining and these are essential for chick food.
The skylark depends on open habitats where they can easily see and escape from predators. They require habitat at least 10m from field boundaries such as hedgerows. The adults feed on seeds, mostly weed and arable seeds and during the winter they depend on weedy stubbles. A lack of winter seed food has been identified as a major cause of decline for many birds. Winter stubbles are an essential habitat to support farmland birds through the winter.
From April to October the adults, and chicks when they hatch, depend on insects and spiders which they collect from rough grassland and pasture. The chicks require a diet of only insects for the first week of life as they require the high protein levels to grow. Quality biodiverse habitat is essential.
Skylarks nest on the ground, in vegetation which is 20–50cm high. This vegetation must be open enough to give the birds easy access to the ground and be relatively undisturbed. They need to raise two or three broods between April and August in order to sustain the population. Most crops are too dense for nesting so do not provide good habitat. Silage fields are not considered undisturbed as they are often cut too frequently to allow successful nesting and chick rearing.
Management to support Skylarks
Ways that skylarks can be supported include:
- Providing undisturbed nesting habitat between April and August.
- Keep grazed or unimproved grassland: Skylarks can nest in grazed pasture if a tussocky sward can be maintained with a low stock rate through the spring and summer. Unimproved grasslands, managed without inputs, often hold high densities of Skylarks.
- Introduce areas of arable crops on livestock farms: This provides feeding and nesting habitat in permanent grassland areas. And will often benefit a large variety of bird species as well as Skylarks
- Don’t cut or graze silage between April and May: Skylarks can nest in silage fields but will only be successful if the field is not cut or grazed between early April and the end of May. Subsequent cuts must be at least seven weeks apart to enable success for later nests.
- Include spring cereals in your arable rotation, where possible: This will provide good nesting habitat.
- Delay cultivation of stubbles until spring:
Weedy overwintered stubbles are the most beneficial winter feeding habitat for Skylarks. The best stubbles are cereal stubbles which receive no pre-harvest glyphosate and no post- harvest herbicides throughout the winter.Delaying cultivation of stubbles until spring will support many bird species and has the added benefit of protecting the soil. Retaining over-winter stubbles on 10% of arable land is the easiest way to feed these seed-eating birds on arable farms where spring crops are used.
Field © Image by Ivabalk from Pixabay
- Maintain beetle banks: These provide over-wintering habitat for beneficial insects. Beetle banks are two- metre grass strips through the middle of arable fields.
Useful Resources
Many of the above suggestions can be supported by an agri environment plan. There are options available as follows:
Retention of Winter stubbles: https://www.ruralpayments.org/topics/all-schemes/agri-environment-climate-scheme/management-options-and-capital-items/retention-of-winter-stubbles-for-wildlife-and-water-quality/
Unharvested Conservation headlands for wildlife: https://www.ruralpayments.org/topics/all-schemes/agri-environment-climate-scheme/management-options-and-capital-items/unharvested-conservation-headlands-for-wildlife/
Forage brassica crops for farmland birds: https://www.ruralpayments.org/topics/all-schemes/agri-environment-climate-scheme/management-options-and-capital-items/forage-brassica-crops-for-farmland-birds/
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