Seasonal Changes in the Use of Nesting Cover by Stonechats Saxicola torquata

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Abstract
Stonechats breeding in heathland built nests in ground vegetation of 4 types. Bracken and purple moor-grass leaves grew suddenly in mid-season, after which breeding success significantly increased for nests under these plants. Heather and gorse did not change dramatically in structure, and there were no changes in breeding success. Bracken was used progressively less after the start of leaf growth, despite improved success in terms of the number of young fledged. One possible counteracting effect was that peak nestling weights in bracken nests did not increase after leaf growth: they increased significantly over the same period in heather and gorse nests.