WIELAND A (2013) The Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra in the Dutch province of Zeeland. LIMOSA 86 (3): 203-207.

The province of Zeeland has since long been a stronghold of Corn Bunting in The Netherlands. In the early part of the previous century the species was a common breeding bird, particularly in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. Numbers declined to a few tens of pairs in the 19700s, but then recovered to a maximum of 200 pairs in the 1950s. Thereafter, a steep decline set in and at the turn of the century breeding had become irregular. The decline was caused mainly by changes in land use connected to agricultural intensifi cation and a simultaneous decline of populations in nearby Belgium. The creation of set-aside fi eld margins has not yet led to a recovery of the breeding population. Interestingly, a few tens of Corn Buntings still winter on high saltmarshes on the southern bank of the Westerschelde estuary. These birds are present from October through March and feed on seeds of saltmash plants, including those in the high tide mark. Winter records are also known from inland fi elds with unharvested cereals. Conservation measures for Corn Buntings may comprise a combination of set-aside fi eld margins, unharvested cereal fi elds, stubbles of cereals and alfalfa, all situated in the vicinity of nature reserves in the most promising regions.

[pdf only for members] [dutch summary]