Habitat preferences and similarities of Grey Partridges and Common Pheasants in agricultural landscapes under organic and conventional farming

Abstract Agricultural landscapes had been inhabited by a vast number of bird species in the past; however, especially last decades, agricultural intensification negatively affected habitat composition. Habitat heterogeneity decreased and many inhabiting farmland has severely declined. These still offer home for species, but with decreasing environmental variability, less suitable might be available interspecific competition have altered. fields under organic farming are often assumed to provide adequate habitats birds, thus these areas high affect species’ selection. We compared selection two typical Grey Partridges ( Perdix perdix ) Common Pheasants Phasianus colchicus ), determine extent overlap conventional spring. Our study showed that both preferred squares heterogeneity. In addition, (e.g. without culture, winter cereals fallow land) were Partridges, while mainly found on containing farming. A broad width respect food driven choice Pheasants; occupation Partridge males also explain Pheasants. Awareness should raised when releasing captive-rearing pheasants because between could fecundity survival species.