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This volume is the Proceedings of the 6th Woodcock and SnipeWorkshop organised by the Woodcock and Snipe Specialist Group ofWetlands International and IUCNThe World Conservation Union. Thisinternational meeting was organised in November 2003 in Nantes, Franceand attended by 40 participants from 12 countries.
It contains 18 papers covering topics as different as breeding biology,ecology, behaviour, population dynamics, monitoring and hunting bags.These papers focused on Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola), Common Snipe(Gallinago gallinago), Great Snipe (Gallinago media) and Jack Snipe(Lymnocryptes minimus). A paper on African Snipe (Gallinago nigripennis)is also presented. A general paper describes the conservation status ofthe worlds Woodcocks and Snipes.
The workshop was characterised by high scientific quality and a largegeographical coverage of the papers. These are the ways towards whichthe Woodcock and Snipe Specialist Group aims to work.
International Wader Studies 13
Ed
ited b
y Y. Ferrand
Sixth European Woodcockand Snipe WorkshopProceedings of an International Symposiumof the Wetlands International Woodcock and Snipe Specialist Group2527 November 2003
Edited by Y. Ferrand
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Sixth EuropeanWoodcock and SnipeWorkshop
Proceedings of an International Symposium ofthe Wetlands International Woodcock and Snipe Specialist Group
Nantes, France2527 November 2003
Edited by Y. FerrandOffice national de la chasse et de la faune sauvage
This Conference was convened by:Wetlands InternationalOffice national de la chasse et de la faune sauvage
With additional financial support from:Conseil rgional des Pays de la Loire
Wetlands InternationalInternational Wader Studies 13
2006
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Wetlands International 2006
Pages from this publication may be reproduced freely for educational, journalistic and other non-commercial purposes(subject to any disclaimers). Prior permission must be given for all other forms of reproduction. Full credit must always begiven to the copyright holder.
ISBN-10: 90-5882-027-0ISBN-13: 978-90-5882-027-3
This publication should be cited as follows: Ferrand, Y. 2006. Sixth European Woodcock and Snipe Workshop Proceedings of an International Symposium of the Wetlands International Woodcock and Snipe Specialist Group,2527 November 2003, Nantes, France. International Wader Studies 13, Wageningen, The Netherlands, vi + 114 pp.
Scientific Committee:A. Hoodless (Game Conservancy Trust),D. MacAuley (FWS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center) andY. Ferrand (Office national de la chasse et de la faune sauvage)
Published by Wetlands Internationalwww.wetlands.org
Available from Natural History Book Service23 Wills Road, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5XN, United Kingdomwww.nhbs.co.uk
Cover photograph: Woodcock during feeding. Andr le Gall
Design by NatureBureau, 36 Kingfisher Court,Hambridge Road, Newbury, RG14 5SJ, UK
Printed by Information Press Ltd, Oxford, UK
Printed on 100gsm Greencoat Velvet
The presentation of material in this report and the geographical designations employed do not imply the expression ofany opinion whatsoever on the part of Wetlands International concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory,or concerning the delimitation of its boundaries or frontiers.
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List of participants ....................................................................................................................................................... iv
Foreword .......................................................................................................................................................................... v
Population estimates and trends of the worlds Woodcocks and Snipes with special reference toglobally threatened speciesSimon Delany ................................................................................................................................................................ 1
WoodcockWoodcock (Scolopax rusticola) breeding biology in Pico Island (Azores Portugal)
Ana-Luisa Machado, Yves Ferrand, Franois Gossmann, Antnio M. Silveira and David Gonalvs .......................... 10Woodcock hunting bag statistics in Russia since 1996
Yuri Yu. Blokhin, Anton P. Mezhnev and Sergei Yu. Fokin ............................................................................................ 17Assessment of the abundance of Woodcock over the last ten hunting seasons in France
Jean-Franois Cau and Jean-Paul Boidot ................................................................................................................... 24Individual wintering strategies in the Eurasian Woodcock
Olivier Duriez, Herv Fritz, Yves Ferrand, Yann Tremblay and Jean Clobert ................................................................. 27What census method for migrating and wintering Woodcock populations?
Yves Ferrand, Franois Gossmann, Claudine Bastat and Michel Gunzan ............................................................... 37National roding censuses in Russia
Yuri Yu. Blokhin and Sergei Yu. Fokin .......................................................................................................................... 44Development of a survey method for breeding Woodcock and its application to assessing the status of the
British populationAndrew Hoodless, Deborah Lang, Rob Fuller, Nicholas Aebischer and Julie Ewald .................................................... 48
Winter survival rates of Eurasian Woodcock in western France, with reference to huntingOlivier Duriez, Cyril Eraud and Yves Ferrand ................................................................................................................ 55
Survival rates of Russian WoodcocksIsabelle Bauthian, Ivan I. Iljinsjy, Sergei Yu. Fokin, Romain Julliard, Franois Gossmann and Yves Ferrand ................. 62
Identification test of suitable Woodcock breeding habitats in mountain areas (Isre dpartement, France)Estelle Lauer, Patrice Sibut, Benot Dutertre, Stphanie Colinon, Yves Ferrand and Christophe Duchamp ................. 66
The origins of Woodcocks wintering in France (abstract)Romain Julliard, Isabelle Bauthian and Franois Gossmann ....................................................................................... 71
SnipeInfluence of human activities on habitat use by African Snipe (Gallinago nigripennis) in Kenya
Cecilia Gichuki, Nathan N. Gichuki and Lucy M. Gakuo .............................................................................................. 74Breeding biology and habitat selection of the Common and Great Snipes in Belarus
Edward Mongin ........................................................................................................................................................... 82Display activity and breeding biology of Jack Snipe in the Bolshezemelskaya tundra
Vladimir V. Morozov ..................................................................................................................................................... 89Breeding density and habitat use of Common Snipe in upland Britain
Andrew Hoodless and David Baines ........................................................................................................................... 95Some behavioural aspects of Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus), wintering in France
Gilles Leray, Michel Lepley, Pierre Defos du Rau, Matthieu Vaslin and Jean-Yves Mondain-Monval ......................... 102
Woodcock and SnipeWing survey of Woodcock and Snipes in Denmark
Ib Clausager .............................................................................................................................................................. 108
Contents
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List of participants
BelarusEdward MONGIN
CanadaRichard COUTURE
DenmarkIb CLAUSAGER
FranceDominique ARRIBERTClaudine BASTATIsabelle BAUTHIANJean-Paul BOIDOTJean-Marie BOUTINAlain CAIZERGUESJean-Franois CAUJacques DARETMarc DARRIGADEOlivier DURIEZBenoit DUTERTRECharles FADATYves FERRANDFranois GOSSMANNMichel GUENEZANPierre LAUNAYMichel LEPLEYGilles LERAYMichel VALLANCEMatthieu VASLIN
GermanyHerby KALCHREUTER
Great BritainSimon HARTAndrew HOODLESS
ItalyLoris GALLISylvio SPANO
KenyaCecilia GICHUKI
The NetherlandsSimon DELANY
PortugalDavid GONCALVESPedro CARDIA LOPESAna Luisa MACHADO
RussiaSergei FOKINIvan ILJINSKYAnton MEZHNEVVladimir MOROZOVPetr ZVEREV
SwitzerlandFranois ESTOPPEYBlaise MULHAUSER
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Every five years on average, the Woodcock and SnipeSpecialist Group (WSSG) of Wetlands International andIUCN The World Conservation Union will organise aworkshop to provide information on Woodcock and Sniperesearch whereby the WSSG members are offered theopportunity to meet and improve the efficiency of thenetwork. The sixth workshop was held in Nantes (France)under the auspices of the French Ministry of ecolo
