Monitoring food availability for meadow birds

The species protection programme (SBP) meadow birds states that the sharp decline of meadow birds in Flanders could possibly be caused by changes in food availability. It is therefore important to gain a better understanding of food availability for meadow birds and to formulate possible solutions to the problem through design and management measures. A methodology was developed in 2023. In 2024, this methodology was deployed to gain insight into the food availability for meadow birds, both in and on the soil, and in the vegetation in the meadow bird areas. In 2025, a metabarcoding analysis of droppings of juvenile birds is carried out to assess the diet of the young birds.