Do environmental variables affect the reproductive success of the Corn Bunting, "Emberiza calandra"?

During the 20th century, agricultural intensification led to a significant decline in farmland birds across Western Europe. Among them the Corn Bunting, Emberiza Calandra, is placed in the “Critically Endangered” category of the Red List of Switzerland. To help the population recover, this study aimed to better understand the link between environmental variables and the reproductive success of the Corn Bunting. Territories were identified in the region of the Seeland (BE/FR) and environmental variables (height and number of vertical structures, type of crop, height and surface of woody vegetation, Shannon index) were recorded. Generalized linear models (GLM) and multinomial logistic models were performed. Results showed a negative effect of the woody vegetation height on the pairing success. No other variable had a significant effect on the reproductive or pairing success of Corn Buntings. Other factors such as the presence of conspecific, the abundance of arthropods and the type of habitat around territories must be further investigated to gain a broader understanding of the reproductive success of this species.