Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use repellents on baits for predator control A replicated, randomised and controlled experiment in the USA found that methyl anthanilate and aminoacetophenone did not reduce consumption of baits by American kestrels Falco sparverius. A replicated, randomised and controlled experiment in New Zealand found that treating baits with pulegone or Avex™ reduced pecking rates in North Island robins Petroica australis longipes. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F159https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F159Tue, 15 May 2012 13:51:05 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Ensure connectivity between habitat patches A replicated, controlled study in Canada found significantly higher abundances of some birds, but not forest specialists, in forest patches connected to a continuous area of forest, than in isolated patches. Another study of the same system found evidence that corridors were used by some bird species more than clearcuts between patches, although corridors near cut forest were not used more than those near uncut stands. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F160https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F160Tue, 15 May 2012 14:47:42 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Mark or tint windows to reduce collision mortality Two randomised, replicated and controlled studies (one ex situ) found that marking windows did not appear to reduce bird collisions. However, when windows were largely covered with white cloth, fewer birds flew towards them. A randomised, replicated and controlled study found that fewer birds collided with tinted windows than with un-tinted ones, although the authors noted that the poor reflective quality of the glass could have influenced the results. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F167https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F167Sat, 19 May 2012 20:22:28 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Leave refuges in fields during harvest A replicated study in France found that fewer gamebirds came into contact with mowing machinery when refuges were left in fields than when they were not left. A review from the UK found that Eurasian skylarks Alauda arvensis did not nest at higher densities in uncut refuges than in the rest of the fields.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F193https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F193Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:35:08 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Offer per clutch payment for farmland birds One of two replicated and controlled studies from the Netherlands found that farms with per clutch payments held slightly higher breeding densities of waders, but not higher overall numbers than control farms. One study found no population effects over three years. A replicated and controlled study found higher hatching success on farms with payment schemes than control farms.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F196https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F196Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:50:57 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Reduce conflict by deterring birds from taking crops using bird scarers A controlled paired study in the USA found reduced levels of damage to almond orchards when American crow Corvus brachyrhynchos distress calls were broadcast, compared to the previous year. There were no decreases in control orchards. A replicated study in Pakistan found that four pest species were less abundant when reflector ribbons were hung above crops, compared to when ribbons were not used.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F199https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F199Thu, 28 Jun 2012 11:34:06 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Relocate birds following oil spillsA replicated study in South Africa found that a higher percentage of African penguins Spheniscus demersus that were relocated following an oil spill bred at their old colonies, compared to birds which were rehabilitated after being oiled, despite fewer relocated birds being seen at their home colony.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F449https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F449Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:27:22 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use artificial visual and auditory stimuli to induce breeding in wild populationsA single small study from the British Virgin Islands found that there was an increase in breeding behaviour in a small population of Caribbean flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber following the introduction of visual and auditory stimulants.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F475https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F475Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:52:00 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Provide supplementary foodA replicated, controlled study from Europe found that overall, gardens with supplementary food did not contain more species than those without. However, there was some evidence that gardens with supplementary food in five countries did contain more species than unfed ones, when countries were analysed separately.   For specific interventions see: provide supplementary foodCollected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F521https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F521Sat, 08 Sep 2012 13:18:10 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Translocate herons, storks and ibisesA before-and-after study in the USA found that a colony of black-crowned night herons Nycticorax nycticorax was successfully moved, with the new colony producing chicks the year after translocation.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F575https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F575Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:25:50 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Alter habitat to encourage birds to leave an areaA single before-and-after study in the USA found that an entire Caspian tern Sterna caspia population moved following (amongst other interventions) the alteration of nesting habitat at the old colony site.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F587https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F587Sat, 06 Oct 2012 22:42:09 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use captive breeding to increase or maintain populations of tinamousA replicated study from Costa Rica over three years found that great tinamous Tinamus major successfully bred in captivity, with similar reproductive success to wild birds.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F588https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F588Sat, 06 Oct 2012 22:48:42 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use captive breeding to increase or maintain populations of seabirdsA study from Spain over five years found that a single pair of Audouin’s gulls, Larus audouinii, successfully bred in captivity.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F589https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F589Sat, 06 Oct 2012 22:52:51 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use captive breeding to increase or maintain populations of railsA study from an island in Australia found that Lord Howe Island woodhens Tricholimnas sylvestris successfully bred in captivity, with 66 chicks being produced over four years from three pairs of adults.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F590https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F590Sat, 06 Oct 2012 22:55:27 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use captive breeding to increase or maintain populations of cranesA study from Canada over 32 years found that whooping cranes Grus americana successfully bred in captivity eight years after the first eggs were removed from the wild. The authors note that young ‘downy’ chicks suffered high mortality in captivity.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F591https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F591Sat, 06 Oct 2012 22:58:51 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use captive breeding to increase or maintain populations of pigeonsA review of a captive-breeding programme on Mauritius and in the UK found that 42 pink pigeons, Nesoenas mayeri, were successfully bred in captivity.Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F597https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F597Sat, 13 Oct 2012 15:21:33 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Wash contaminated semen and use it for artificial inseminationA single replicated controlled study in Spain found that semen contaminated with urine could be successfully washed to increase its pH and produced three raptor nestlings.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F603https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F603Sat, 13 Oct 2012 16:47:48 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Artificially incubate and hand-rear gamebirds in captivityA single, replicated study in Finland found that hand-reared grey partridges Perdix perdix did not take off to fly as effectively as wild-caught birds, potentially making them more vulnerable to predation from ground predators.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F607https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F607Sat, 13 Oct 2012 17:33:47 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Artificially incubate and hand-rear rails in captivityA controlled before-and-after study from New Zealand found that post-release survival of hand-reared takahe Porphyrio hochstetteri (formerly P. mantelli) was as high as wild-reared birds and that six of ten released females raised chicks.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F608https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F608Sat, 13 Oct 2012 17:41:25 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Artificially incubate and hand-rear vultures in captivityA study in Peru found that hand-reared Andean condors Vultur gryphus had similar survival to parent-reared birds after release into the wild.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F613https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F613Sun, 14 Oct 2012 12:01:57 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Release captive-bred individuals into the wild to restore or augment wild populations of wadersA review of black stilt Himantopus novaezelandiae releases in New Zealand found that birds had low survival (13–20%) and many moved away from their release sites so, in consequence, that they could not be managed and were unlikely to interact with stilt populations in the wild.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F623https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F623Sun, 14 Oct 2012 14:32:46 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Release captive-bred individuals into the wild to restore or augment wild populations of pigeonsA single review of a captive-release programme in Mauritius found that that released pink pigeons Nesoenas mayeri had a first year survival of 36%.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F628https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F628Sun, 14 Oct 2012 22:54:33 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Release birds in groupsA replicated study from New Zealand found that released black stilts Himantopus novaezelandiae were more likely to move long distances after release if they were released in larger groups.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F634https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F634Sun, 14 Oct 2012 23:34:47 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use ‘flying training’ before releaseA replicated study from the Dominican Republic found that captive-reared Hispaniolan parrots Amazona ventralis had higher initial survival if they were given pre-release predator training, although this difference was not present a year after release.Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F638https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F638Sun, 14 Oct 2012 23:51:20 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use microlites to help birds migrateA review of northern bald ibis Geronticus eremita conservation found that a group of birds followed a microlite from Austria to Italy but none made the return journey.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F640https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F640Sun, 14 Oct 2012 23:58:53 +0100
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What Works in Conservation

What Works in Conservation provides expert assessments of the effectiveness of actions, based on summarised evidence, in synopses. Subjects covered so far include amphibians, birds, mammals, forests, peatland and control of freshwater invasive species. More are in progress.

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