Farmland bird (ground-nesting)
CEF
FCS

Species protection for the Skylark

Alauda arvensis

The skylark is a characteristic bird of open farmland and is one of the species regularly considered in the special species protection assessment (saP) for development projects. As a ground-nesting bird, it needs structurally diverse arable land with sparse vegetation and an open horizon. Where a project affects its breeding sites and resting places, advance compensation measures (CEF) safeguard the ecological function within the spatial context, supplemented where necessary by measures to maintain a favourable conservation status (FCS).

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Habitat of the Skylark: Open, largely treeless farmland with low, patchy vegetation
Species profile

The Skylark at a glance

  • Habitat: Open, largely treeless farmland with low, patchy vegetation. Fallow land, extensively managed grassland and spring-sown cereals are favourable at the start of the breeding season.
  • Threat status / Red List: Category 3 (threatened) in both Bavaria and Germany, with a marked and continuing decline driven by the intensification of agriculture.
  • Conservation status: Assessed as unfavourable to bad in the continental and alpine regions.
  • Protection status: Specially protected European bird species under § 7 (2) No. 13 BNatSchG and the EU Birds Directive. The prohibitions of § 44 BNatSchG apply.
  • Typical measure: Skylark plots combined with flowering and fallow strips, plus extensively farmed arable land, delivered as advance CEF measures.
§ 44 BNatSchGSpecially protected (§ 7 (2) No. 13 BNatSchG)European bird species (Birds Directive 2009/147/EC)Red List Bavaria 3Red List Germany 3
Measures

Typical protective measures for the Skylark

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Skylark plots with flowering and fallow strips

A short-term effective CEF measure in winter wheat. Around 10 skylark plots per breeding pair (each at least 20 m², 2 to 4 per hectare) plus 0.2 ha of flowering and fallow strips, distributed across an area of around 3 ha. The plots are created by leaving gaps during sowing, not by using herbicides, and lie at least 25 m from the field edge.

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Flowering area and arable fallow

Sparsely sown flowering areas or flowering strips adjoining self-seeded fallow land, around 0.5 ha per breeding pair. No fertiliser, no plant protection products and no soil cultivation between 15 March and 1 July. Open bare-soil patches are retained as a nesting and foraging habitat.

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Widened sowing row spacing

Cereal stands (spring cereals, winter wheat or triticale) with a sowing row spacing of at least 30 cm, around 1 ha per breeding pair. The wide row spacing creates the open structure that skylarks need for approach flight, nest-building and foraging. Winter barley is unsuitable because of its early harvest date.

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Extensively managed grassland with cereal strips

A medium- to long-term effective measure on poor sites (soil value number up to 30): extensively managed grassland with the first cut not before 1 July, interwoven in a mosaic pattern with open cereal strips. Permanent retention is suitable as an FCS contribution to supporting the conservation status.

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Site selection and spatial location

Effectiveness depends heavily on location. The areas lie open with a clear horizon, close to existing populations and set back from vertical structures (individual trees and hedgerows over 50 m away, tree rows over 120 m away, closed woodland over 160 m away) as well as at least 100 m from busy paths and roads.

Occurrence

The Skylark in these natural regions

D56
Mainfränkische Platten
D59
Fränkisches Keuper-Liasland
D62
Oberpfälzisch-Obermainisches Hügelland
D64
Donau-Iller-Lech-Platten
D65
Unterbayerisches Hügelland und Isar-Inn-Schotterplatten
Frequently asked questions

All about the Skylark

The skylark is a specially protected European bird species. Construction and infrastructure projects in agricultural landscapes frequently affect its breeding sites and resting places, meaning the access prohibitions under § 44 BNatSchG must be considered in the special species protection assessment. Measures are regularly set to avoid triggering these prohibitions.
CEF measures permanently maintain the ecological function of the affected breeding and resting sites within the spatial context. For the skylark, these include skylark plots with flowering and fallow strips, flowering areas adjoining arable fallow land, and widened sowing row spacing. It is essential that the measure is already effective by the time the project intervention takes place.
CEF measures take effect in advance and secure the function of a specifically affected habitat. Where a breach of the access prohibitions cannot be avoided and an exemption under § 45 (7) BNatSchG becomes necessary, FCS measures serve to maintain the favourable conservation status of the population. For the skylark, the development and long-term retention of extensively managed grassland and extensively farmed arable land are particularly suitable for this purpose.
The area required depends on the type of measure and the number of affected territories. The Bavarian measure specification gives an order of magnitude of around 0.5 to 1 ha per breeding pair, with sub-areas distributed within a space of around 3 ha. The specific sizing follows from the population survey and coordination with the competent nature conservation authority.
Get in touch

Request protective measures for the Skylark

We plan and deliver the right CEF or FCS measure for the Skylark in your project.

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+49 6486 204005-0 vertrieb@greenature.de Gröbn 1, 84556 Kastl