Effect of farmland type and vegetation height on habitat use and breeding success of Northern Lapwings in southeastern Norway

The Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus is classified as critically endangered on the Norwegian Red List, and threats include agricultural practices and predation. Habitat use and hatching success were monitored during the 2019 breeding season in 28 farmland sites in southeastern Norway to inform management strategies. Lapwings preferred short vegetation and avoided tall vegetation, particularly as the breeding season progressed. They preferred short-height habitat types such as tilled fields, vegetation islands, small roads and earth mounds, and avoided tall-height habitat types such as autumn sown cereal fields. Out of 65 breeding attempts, 51% resulted in successful hatching whereas 31% of nests failed to produce chicks (18% outcome unknown). Failures were likely due to predation (70%) or farmer activity such as tilling early in the season (30%). Hatching success was highest for nests placed on spring sown fields. The results suggested an ecological dilemma: autumn sown fields, where nests are probably most safe from farming activity, were avoided, perhaps due to higher predation risk when vegetation height becomes too high as the breeding season progresses. Possible management actions may include (1) switching from autumn sown cereals to spring sown cereals, (2) marking nests to avoid mechanical destruction during farmland activities such as tilling and spring sowing, and (3) creating ‘set-asides’ and vegetation islands that may function as refuges from tall crop vegetation late in the breeding season.