Features of shorebird nesting in plowed lands of Moscow region in the 1980s to 2000s

Data on the nesting of shorebirds (Vanellus vanellus, Limosa limosa, Tringa totanus, and T. stagnatilis) in plowed lands of the Moscow region has been studied over the periods before and after the agricultural collapse in Russia (1979–1991 and 1992–2007, respectively). In the latter period, the proportion of pairs nesting in plowed lands has increased in L. limosa and T. totanus, with nesting density increasing in both these species and V. vanellus. The observed changes depend on the proportion of abandoned lands in areas around plowed lands and on the level of moisture supply of the latter. Both factors exert their effect via changes in foraging conditions for shorebirds.