Perched on a razor's edge: Woodlark Lullula arborea preference for vanishing land-uses in a traditional sub-Pannonian landscape

Conservation and restoration of extensively managed grasslands in the Goričko (Slovenia) Natura 2000 site is crucial for reversing the negative population trend of Woodlarks. The population of Woodlarks, listed as a Natura 2000 species for Goričko, decreased by more than 65% over the past 25 years, and we examined its habitat use to identify the most important landscape features, to form conservation recommendations. We visited all known sites of Woodlarks in Goričko, in north-east Slovenia, and recorded their presence and activity during several visits. We divided breeding sites into square plots and surveyed 23 land-use and landscape variables within them, and also in randomly selected control plots in the west of the study area where Woodlarks were absent, then modelled habitat selection using boosted regression trees. In the mosaic agricultural landscape of Goričko, Woodlarks preferred extensive and mesotrophic meadows, where as little as 3–5% cover considerably increased the probability of their presence, and also dirt roads and some forest cover of 30–75%, all located on gentle south-oriented slopes and hilltops, while avoiding traditional orchards and intensive meadows. Conservation efforts for Woodlarks in Goričko should focus on maintaining existing extensive meadows and expanding their range.