In the open landscape of Slovakia’s lowlands, where the LIFE Steppe Birds project operates, rows of ancient pollarded willows are truly irreplaceable. To us they are a beautiful part of the scenery, but for the European roller and the red-footed falcon, they are strategic sites for life itself. To ensure these trees continue to serve their purpose in 2026 and beyond, we need to give them their characteristic “crown”.
Why is pollarding essential to the project’s goals?
Our project focuses on protecting species associated with open steppe landscapes. Although willows often grow along canals and ponds with muddy banks, their importance for steppe birds is immense:
- Nesting cavities: Regular pollarding following BROZ’s expert guidelines stimulates the tree to develop natural cavities. These are far more attractive and safer for the European roller than artificial nest boxes.
- Landscape stability: Without pollarding, old willows would eventually split under the weight of their branches, and entire nesting lines would be lost. Regular “willow cutting” extends the life of these trees by decades.
- Food supply: Freshly pollarded willows and the piles of cut branches left nearby provide habitat for hundreds of insect species, which are the primary food source for the chicks of our target bird species.
How we work (in line with the guidelines)
Within the activities of the LIFE21-NAT-SK-LIFE 4 STEPPE BIRDS project, we follow proper techniques that respect both the biology of the tree and the needs of the birds:
- Winter timing: All pollarding is carried out exclusively during the vegetation dormancy period (January to February), so that the habitat is ready before the spring arrival of falcons and rollers.
- Cutting to the crown: Branches are removed with a chainsaw close to the trunk, encouraging the characteristic shape that gives birds an excellent vantage point over their hunting grounds.
- Supporting shrub cover: Around water bodies, we retain denser shrub vegetation, which provides shelter for small wildlife and increases the overall biodiversity of the site.