Skylark Gaps and Microhabitats – Caring for Biodiversity in Agroecosystems

The skylark (Alauda arvensis) is the voice of spring—yet it stands on the brink of disappearance.
Not long ago, the skylark was one of the most abundant bird species in Europe’s agricultural landscapes. Today, its population is plummeting—by as much as 50% across the continent. In Poland, skylark numbers have declined by 10%–25% over the past 20 years (according to the Polish Bird Monitoring Scheme). The main cause? Agricultural intensification: larger monoculture fields, denser crops, and less open space. Paradoxically, the quintessential farmland bird—entirely dependent on agricultural landscapes—is losing its habitat due to agriculture itself.

Skylarks nest on the ground in open areas, avoiding dense vegetation and never landing directly at the nest site—a strategy to evade predators. When crops grow too tall and thick, nesting becomes impossible, and fledglings have little chance of survival.

Skylark Gaps – A Simple Method with Big Impact

A practical solution has emerged: skylark gaps (Feldlerchenfenster)—small, unsown patches of farmland, typically around 20 m², created by briefly lifting or disabling the seed drill during sowing. First introduced in the UK and Germany, these gaps have proven highly effective. Research shows that skylark territories on fields with gaps increased by up to 60% within three years.

Importantly, the benefits extend beyond skylarks. These gaps also support other farmland birds such as the yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava), ortolan bunting (Emberiza hortulana), corn bunting (Emberiza calandra), and even birds of prey like the kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), common buzzard (Buteo buteo), and harriers (Circus spp.), which use them as hunting grounds for small rodents.

From Eco-Schemes to Microhabitats – Local Innovation at the Village Border: Budziska and Ruda

As part of the “Nature Without Borders” project, aimed at protecting and enhancing biodiversity, we developed an original extension of this concept. Instead of implementing gaps on large-scale crop fields, we created two dedicated microhabitats on meadows and fallow land at the borders of the villages Budziska and Ruda (Silesian Voivodeship), within the KSM Ruda area. The concept of skylark gaps in our project was consulted with WWF Poland.

Although traditional gaps are typically used in cereal crops, we demonstrated that this model can be adapted to mosaic, extensive habitats—creating spaces suitable for nesting, foraging, and resting not only for skylarks but for a broader group of open-landscape birds.

Minimal Input, Tangible Results

One of the key advantages of this method is its low cost and simplicity. The yield loss from two gaps per hectare amounts to just 0.4% of the field area. No changes in agronomic practices are required, weed pressure does not increase, and the entire procedure can be done in a single motion—by lifting the seed drill.

Despite their small size, our microhabitats are already showing increased bird activity, especially during breeding and migration periods. This confirms that implementing innovative ideas doesn’t require large investments—but rather courage, knowledge, and a willingness to help birds.

The Skylark as an Indicator of Agroecosystem Health

In times of climate change and intensified production, species like the skylark play a crucial role—they are indicators of agricultural ecosystem health. Their presence (or absence) signals whether the landscape can provide essential ecosystem services such as pollination, water retention, and pest control.

That’s why a “gap” for the skylark is, in reality, a space for the future of agriculture.