NOORDEN B VAN (1999) The Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana in The Netherlands - a rural tragedy. LIMOSA 72 (2): 55-63.

The first published records of breeding Ortolan Buntings in The Netherlands date from the 18th century. At the beginning of the 20th century the Ortolan Bunting was widely distributed on the sandy soils in the eastern and southern parts of the country. The population size in these days can roughly be estimated at 3000-5000 pairs. The Dutch breeding population has decreased markedly during the last fifty years, especially since 1970. The last confirmed breeding attempt was recorded in 1994. In 1997, only two territories, occupied by unpaired males, were found and none in 1998. The decrease and subsequent extinction as a breeding bird from The Netherlands can be mainly attributed to degradation of habitat caused by changing agricultural practices. The main reason probably being the replacement of small-scale mixed farming by large scale agricultural intensification which introduced widespread application of insecticides, herbicides and the changing from rye fields to maize fields. Habitat loss through urbanization has also contributed.
      During the period 1989-93, territories were established in five different heathlands in the southeastern province of Limburg. This habitat is quite different from the usual Dutch Ortolan breeding habitat (small-scale farmland with ryefields bordered by rows of oaks). It seems an escape from the very intensively used farmland, that had become unfit for breeding. In spite of this occupation of new habitat, there was no successful breeding in heathland. The distance between the occupied heath and the agricultural breeding grounds ranged from 4 to 25 kID.
      There is little hope for recolonization in the near future. The surrounding populations are extinct (Belgium) or decreasing respectively (Germany).

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