We monitored nest success of two arctic-nesting shorebirds with contrasting breeding distribution and nesting habitat. However, empirical data supporting this hypothesis are scarce and mechanisms driving interspecific variation in vulnerability to nest predation are poorly documented. The few species that can breed within the entire distribution range of the Arctic Fox, the main nest predator in the arctic tundra, are supposedly less sensitive to predation. Some arctic-nesting shorebirds nest almost exclusively in areas where predation pressure is regularly released. Lower vulnerability to predation should increase the capacity of prey populations to maintain positive population growth rate in regions characterized by high predation pressure.
