Lapwing and Redshank Nesting Sites on Coastal Marshes: Does Sward Structure Matter?

Grazing is central to the debate on wildlife conservation. Agricultural grasslands are the main breeding areas for many waders and grazing is very important in grassland use by these species. Waders, groundnesting birds, are very sensitive to sward structure for nesting (Milsom et al., 2000). As a marsh has different grazing regimes, all fields are not equally suitable for waders. This study evaluated the factors affecting lapwing and redshank selection of nesting sites. Also, the hypothesis was tested that sward structure (mean grass height, frequency of tussocks) is an important factor affecting this selection