Birds as useful indicators of high nature value (HNV) farmland in Central Italy

Traditional farmland is therefore a valuable habitat and not 'just' a soft matrix for these birds. Moreover, complex models were better supported by the data than simpler models for all passerines. Modern agricultural techniques which simplify the structural complexity of farmland are likely to exclude many passerine species. Thus incentives to maintain small scale heterogeneity in traditionally managed farmland will be critical for maintaining their rich passerine bird communities.