The impact of river engineering on water birds on an English lowland river

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Abstract
Waterbirds were surveyed using Waterways Bird Survey procedures before, during and after extensive river engineering work was carried out on a 6.5 km stretch of river. Surveys of major habitat features showed that dredging and re-grading work resulted in a 68-74% reduction in the extent of fringing marginal vegetation and bushes in part of the study area, which was matched by a 70% reduction in the total number of breeding territories. Elsewhere, at least 85% of the major habitat features remained and there was a much smaller (15%) decrease in the total number of breeding territories. Loss of nesting habitat appeared to be the dominating effect of the river engineering work and Coot and Moorhen, which depend on bankside bushes and marginal vegetation for nesting, were most severely affected. Ways in which the general effects of such work on habitat and birds might be reduced are discussed.