Evaluation of a potential umbrella species using favourability models: the case of the endangered little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) and steppe birds

Abstract Farmland biodiversity is in alarming decline worldwide due to agriculture intensification. In this context, the umbrella species concept may help better targeting conservation efforts, focusing on whose requirements best cover those of other components biological communities. We test idea using little bustard ( Tetrax tetrax ), a strongly declining steppe bird depending extensive agricultural landscapes south-western Europe, explore degree which its habitat can predict sympatric endangered birds. use and nine distribution data at 10 × km scale Castilla-La Mancha (the most important region for Spain EU) favourability models identify variables explaining that robustly also species. Models fitted with applied co-occurring yielded varying performance results. support role as only part community, more precisely, linked cereal grassland-dominated landscapes, but not landscape generalist species, distributed over mosaic including shrublands woody crops. Results highlight importance favourable steppes (little great bustard, Montagu’s harrier, pin-tailed sandgrouse, calandra lark), some are largely understudied (pin-tailed sandgrouse despite their marginal coverage by Natura 2000 protected area network.