Mapping mammalian meadow bird nest predators in a Dutch dairy farming landscape

Widespread changes in the European agricultural system have brought about drastic changes in food web interactions, including those between meadow birds and their (nest) predators. Mammals are considered the main nest predators, yet our current knowledge of predator communities in agricultural landscapes is limited. Using camera traps across 11 500 ha of dairy-farming land in Southwest Friesland, The Netherlands, during three spring seasons we monitored: (1) predator presence and (2) actual predation on black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa limosa) nests. During 2021-2023 we detected 11 species of potential mammalian meadow bird predators. The top six, with a daily presence of ≥ 5%, were: domestic cat (Felis catus), brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), European badger (Meles meles), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), beech marten (Martes foina) and European polecat (Mustela putorius). There were marked, and for most species consistent, differences in spatial distribution, with positive co-occurrence of badgers and foxes. Across the three study years, red foxes were the most consistent predators of godwit nests, whereas domestic cats and brown rats predated very few nests despite their high presence. Patterns over the years indicated that as beech marten nest predation diminished, red fox nest predation increased. We suggest that (1) the presence of predator species alone is not an accurate reflection of their actual nest predation, and (2) the presence of single predator species, and their effects on, meadow birds should be assessed in context of the whole predator community.