Nest-site selection by the Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator) in Boroyeh Wildlife Sanctuary, Inner Iran

We studied nest site selection by the Woodchat Shrike, Lanius senator, in a wildlife sanctuary in semi-arid central Iran. Habitat variables such as plant species, relative vegetation cover, height and number of plant species, distance to the closest water source in nest-site areas were compared with randomly selected non-used areas. The results showed that the most important factors influencing nest-site selection by this bird were vegetation cover, especially the number and height of spiny shrub species such as Atraphaxis spinosa and Amygdalus reuteri which were significantly more abundant in Woodchat Shrike breeding areas compared to control areas.