Breeding in an agricultural landscape 241


these negative effects, targeted conservation actions are needed (Arroyo et al., 2002; Schekkerman et al., 2008; Zámečník et al., 2018). Here we report the results of a 10-year conservation effort


focused on the collared pratincole Glareola pratincola, which is affected by habitat alterations and has undergone population declines across many parts of Europe (Yuri et al., 2020). The collared pratincole is a ground-nesting shorebird that used to breed in loose colonies on alkaline grasslands close to wetlands in Central Europe (Cramp & Simmons, 1983), and a large inland breeding population existed in Hungary until the mid 1900s (Aradi, 1979; Kiss et al., 2018). Collared pratincoles feed on flying insects including dragonflies, flies and beetles of various sizes. They scrape their nests into livestock hoofprints or into the bare ground (Beretzk, 1954; Cramp & Simmons, 1983). The collared pratincole is categorized as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List but the global population is declining (BirdLife International, 2021). It has been difficult to assess population changes because of the high dispersal propensity and semi-nomadic strategy of the species, lead- ing to large fluctuations in breeding densities (Yuri et al., 2020). Collared pratincoles are now breeding on agricultural land in Europe (Calvo&Alberto, 1990; Calvo, 1994; Calvo& Furness, 1995; Lebedeva, 1998; Kiss et al., 2017; Yuri et al., 2020), and most breeding attempts now occur on arable


farmland even in some of the coastal breeding populations (Vincent-Martin, 2007; Nardelli et al., 2008; Kiss et al., 2017). During the past decade, the Hungarian population has fluctuated between 22 and 65 pairs, at two major breed- ing sites (the Nagykunság and Kiskunság regions). These sites are the last remaining regular breeding locations of col- lared pratincoles in the Carpathian Basin (Kiss et al., 2018). We have four objectives: firstly, to quantify nesting suc-


cess of the collared pratincole and investigate the ecological variables that could predict nesting success, including habi- tat type, timing of breeding, proximity to open water and breeding density; secondly, to compare nest survival rates between different agricultural habitats; thirdly, to investi- gate the effects of conservation measures on nest survival; and finally, to investigate potential associations between predator control and nest survival.


Study area


We carried out data collection and conservation activities in the Nagykunság region in eastern Hungary (Fig. 1). The climate is eastern continental, characterized by dry and warm periods during the breeding season interspersed with short, heavy rainfall of 20–100 mm/h (Hungarian Meteorological Service, 2021). We focused on the southern part of Nagykunság, where the landscape is dominated by


FIG. 1 The c. 12,500-ha study area in eastern Hungary.


Oryx, 2024, 58(2), 240–249 © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605323000911


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