Synergistic effects of habitat composition and weather on reproduction of a sharply declining farmland bird in Central Europe

Abstract Context Agricultural landscapes across Europe have undergone significant transformation due to intensification and land-use changes, resulting in habitat loss and reduced biodiversity. Simultaneously, climate change has intensified extreme weather events, further exacerbating the decline of sensitive farmland species. Objectives We assessed the effects of habitat composition, weather conditions and their interaction, on the reproductive success of the grey partridge (Perdix perdix ). We aimed to identify factors that hinder successful reproduction and are important for conservation considerations. Our model species is a widespread farmland bird that is particularly sensitive to habitat change and weather. Methods Using open-source data spanning 13 years (2011–2023) across the Czech Republic, a central European country with a highly intensified farmland, we applied generalized linear mixed models to assess the influence of habitat and weather conditions on partridge reproductive success at a landscape scale. Results Mosaics of herb-dominated vegetation, including grasslands and unmanaged wastelands near human settlements, significantly increased the probability of successful breeding of partridges. Conversely, diversity of broad land-use types reduced breeding success. Adverse weather, such as heavy rainfall in May, was also detrimental to the species’ reproduction, however, positive interaction of habitat diversity and rainfall in May suggest their synergistic effect. Conclusions Our results highlight the importance of habitat and weather considerations in conservation strategies for farmland birds. As ongoing climate change is likely to increase the frequency of extreme weather events, improving habitat quality by supporting herbaceous vegetation and promoting agri-environmental measures more widely are essential for the conservation of grey partridges and other sensitive species.