The Black-tailed Godwit was once a common sight in Dutch meadows. The bird used to flourish in the peat soil habitats in the western part of the Netherlands. Invertebrates profited from enrichment of the soil with manure and fertilisers and earthworms (Lumbricidae), leatherjackets (Tipulidae), snails and other species were abundant. The combination of abundant food, at least for adult birds, and the soft peat soil (which is easily penetrated by the long bill of the Black-tailed Godwit) made the western part of the Netherlands a prime breeding habitat for the Black-tailed Godwit. Nearly 80% of the western Europe population of the Black-tailed Godwit used to breed in the Netherlands. However, the key Dutch breeding population underwent a large decline from 120,000-135,000 in 1969, 85,000-100,000 in 1989-1991, 62,000 in 2004, to 30,000 now. Other common farmland birds, such as Skylark and Oystercatcher, are also in freefall. While the Dutch Nature Conservation Act allows for legally binding programmes to promote active species protection, the government has not put any such programme for farmland birds in place. This comes after years of warnings from scientists, NGOs and farmers alike. Today, BirdLife Holland (Vogelbescherming Nederland) filed a formal complaint at the European Commission charging the Dutch government with breach of the EU Birds Directive, which requires EU Member States to safeguard farmland birds by conserving or restoring habitats and by designating protected areas.
Used source: Birdlife International, 8 November 2016
http://www.birdlife.org/europe-and-central-asia/news/justice-dutch-farm…
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