BOELE A , F HUSTINGS, K KOFFIJBERG, C VAN TURNHOUT & C PLATE (2008) Population trends in wintering landbirds in The Netherlands 1980-2006: effects of region, habitat and migratory behaviour. LIMOSA 81 (2): 50-61.

Starting in 1978, Point Transect Counts ofwintering birds form one of the oldest monitoring schemes for birds in the Netherlands. They are organised by SOVON in close collaboration with Statistics Netherlands and entirely conducted by volunteer birdwatchers. The census aims to monitor changes in wintering populations in mainly terrestrial birds (waterbirds aremonitored with a specific waterbird monitoring scheme). Fieldwork is highly standardised and includes 20 point-counts of exactly five minutes at selected points along a fixed transect, chosen by the observer. Points have to be situated at least 500m apart in open landscape and 250 m in wooded areas. Today, about 400 transects are covered annually, well spread over habitats within the Netherlands (figs. 1, 2). Trend calculations, both at regional and national scale, have been carried outwith the TRIMpackage (see table 1 for trend classification) for 64 terrestrial bird species. This paper presents data of Point Transect Counts in 1980- 2006, with special reference to differences between the high and low grounds within the Netherlands, i.e. between the pleistocene (with predominantly sandy soils) eastern and holocene (with predominantly clay and peat soils) northern and western parts of the country (fig. 3).
      General results are summarised in table 3 and figs. 5-8. Sedentary species and partialmigrants inhabitingwoodlands have generally increased since 1980. They have benefited from both the increased frequency of mild winters (improved winter survival) and the extension and maturation of forest plantations in the lower western and northern parts of the country (increase of suitable habitats). In woodlands in the traditional breeding areas at the high grounds, numbers remained fairly stable for most species. Winter visitors and sedentary species inhabiting other habitats on the other hand slightly decreased on average. In farmland, natural habitats and urban areas, differences between Pleistocene and Holocene regions are less striking, although intriguing differences do occur (Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Magpie). In a few species recent changes in breeding populations abroad (Hen Harrier, GreyWagtail) and changed migratory strategies seem to affect numbers wintering in The Netherlands (decline in wintering Rook).

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