Short-term effects of hay mowing on bird abundance and species richness in extensive meadows
Description
Meadows are valuable foraging habitats for many bird species during the breeding season. Certain management practices, such as hay harvesting, can enhance foraging opportunities. Our study, conducted in eastern Poland, compared bird occurrence on two types of meadows: meadows during mowing and the same meadows several days after mowing. The total number of species was similar on both meadow types; however, more than twice as many individuals were recorded on meadows during mowing. Mowing activity attracted higher numbers of White Storks and corvids, whereas it did not increase the occurrence of raptors. The main factors significantly affecting both the mean species number and the mean number of individuals were meadow type, meadow area and distance to nearest forest. Both indices were higher on meadows being mown than on meadows cleared of hay. Larger meadow areas supported higher species richness and greater bird abundance. Among habitat characteristics, only increasing distance from the nearest forest had a positive effect on bird occurrence. These findings confirm that meadows during mowning provide short-term but highly attractive foraging conditions, and that extensive management in a fragmented landscape may play an important role in the conservation of meadow bird communities.