<p>Forest clear-cuts are used by several farmland bird species, and it has been argued that clear-cuts may be an important alternative habitat for some farmland species that are declining. However, there has so far not been any comparative studies assessing the traits of farmland birds that have colonised clear-cuts. Use of forest clear-cuts may be favoured by species with particular ecological traits, but immigration pressure from source populations in farmland areas could also play a role. In 448 sites in southeastern Norway, I found that the three most common farmland bird species in boreal forest clear-cuts were <i>Lanius collurio</i>, <i>Saxicola rubetra</i> and <i>Emberiza citrinella</i>. Four other species were present more rarely, whereas none of the remaining 19 farmland bird species assessed bred in clear-cuts. The species composition was partly dependent upon ecological filtering with mainly small-sized species being present, perhaps with additional traits being favoured (migration, insect diet, low or ground nesting). There were only weak relationships between commonness in potential farmland source areas and in clear-cuts across species. This may suggest that some species (in particular <i>Lanius collurio</i> and <i>Saxicola rubetra</i>) have populations in clear-cuts that are independent from populations in farmland areas, whereas others may reflect immigration from source populations in farmland areas. Farmland bird species using forest clear-cuts were not more threatened and did not have more negative population trends than those not using clear-cuts. In conclusion, not all farmland bird species can use boreal forest clear-cuts, and, thus, clear-cuts in this region appear to be of mixed conservation value for farmland birds.</p>