Hobby nest-site selection and productivity in relation to intensive agriculture and forestry

A hobby (Falco subbuteo) population of 12-18 breeding pairs was studied intensively for 6 years in the seasonal flood plain of the Po River in northern Italy. The 62-km(2) study area is managed as an intensive agroforestry system. We examined factors affecting hobby nest-site selection and productivity, and propose conservation guidelines integrating current agroforestry practices with the hobby's habitat requirements. Ninety-six percent of hobby nests were located within commercial poplar (Populus sp.) plantations. All nests used by hobbies had been originally built by hooded crows (Corvus corone cornix). Nests were on taller, more mature trees than randomly selected crow nests, were situated farther away from the nearest dirt road, and had a larger extent of mature poplar plantations within 800 m of the nest than randomly selected crow nests. Crow nests used by hobbies were further from each other than randomly selected crow nests. Clutch size was positively related to habitat diversity and the extent of fallow in the area surrounding the nest. The probability of successfully raising young was positively related to the area of cultivation around the nest, and negatively affected by proximity to the nearest dirt road. Our proposals to integrate hobby conservation within current agroforestry practices include the maintenance of mature plantations equally dispersed throughout the landscape, increasing the availability of mature woodland, fallow, and wetlands, and informing-educating foresters on methods to, and importance of minimizing disturbance to wildlife, specifically nesting birds.