Last update:

23rd July 2008

Quick links:

Why farmland birds have declined

Why woodland birds have declined

Key South West trends

SW all native bird species trends

SW woodland bird species trends

SW farmland bird species trends

SW coastal bird species trends

Key national trends

Regional comparisons

Seabird trends

Climate change and wading birds

Big Garden Bird Watch 2007 results

European bird trends

Action to halt declines

Bird health

Bird Flu

Biodiversity

Key wildlife species - otters

Water voles

Mammal populations

Useful websites

South West Regional Biodiversity Partnership

Headline indicators of sustainable development in the UK

Regional quality of life counts: 2003 - wildlife

Key facts about wildlife: birds (Defra)

2003 statistical release on bird populations

Wild bird indicators for the four UK countries and for the English regions: 1994 – 2002

Production of Breeding Bird Survey - based Regional Indicators for Wild Bird Populations: 1994-2002

BirdLife International European bird data search

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)

British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)

Bird web

British garden birds

South West Nature Map

Birds

New on this page:

• Bird Crime 2007 increases by 34% in the South West
• Wild bird population indicators for the English regions: 1994 – 2006
• Big Garden Bird Watch 2008- South West results
• Bird flu found in Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset - latest situation report
• UK Government's indicators of wild bird populations 1970 - 2006

Birds are considered to be a good indicator of the broad state of wildlife and countryside because they inhabit a wide range of habitats and tend to be near the top of the food chain.

The UK index of wild bird populations is one of the Government’s 15 headline indicators for sustainable development in the UK.

This indicator looks in detail at:

• The overall population of British breeding birds
• Farmland bird population
• Woodland bird population

It is generated by combining the trends of 106 widespread breeding bird species across the UK, for which population data is collected annually or periodically.

1970 is taken as the base year. However, it should not be assumed that this represents the ideal wild bird population - the index is intended to show how bird populations have been changing over time. For example, if an index rises to 200 then, on average, populations of species in that indicator have doubled; if it falls to 50 then they have halved on average.

N.B. The RSPB, BTO & Defra, for the purpose of these estimates, define a population index showing significant change is defined as one where the index has increased or decreased by 10% or more over the period.

Regional wild bird populations

The latest regional version of the national indicator of sustainable development 1994 - 2006 (Defra, RSPB, BTO, 2008) is now available.

The key regional results are as follows:

• In the West Midlands, the South West and the South East,  the farmland bird population fell by more than 10%. There was no significant change in any of the other English regions. This compares with an overall England decrease of 7 per cent over the same period.
• The largest increase in woodland bird populations between 1994 and 2006 was in the North West, which saw a rise of  32%. There was also an increase of 19% in the Yorkshire and the Humber region. There was a decrease of 19% in the South East and 10% in the South West, but little change in the remaining regions. This compares with an overall England decline of 7% over the same period.

All breeding birds

The comparisons between regions can be difficult to interpret because all-species indicators of regional wild bird populations cover a wide range of different species in each region.

In most regions, there was little change in the all-species indicator, the exceptions being the North East (+14%) , North West (+23%), and Yorkshire and the Humber (+17%) where the indices rose significantly over the period 1994 to 2006. This compares with an overall England increase of 6% over the same period.

Farmland birds

In the West Midlands, the South West and the South East,  the farmland bird population fell by more than 10%. There was no significant change in any of the other English regions. This compares with an overall England decrease of 7% over the same period.

The largest increase in woodland bird populations between 1994 and 2006 was in the North West, which saw a rise of  32%. There was also an increase of 19% in the Yorkshire and the Humber region. There was a decrease of 19% in the South East and 10 per cent in the South West, but little change in the remaining regions. This compares with an overall England decline of 7 per cent over the same period.

Woodland birds

The largest increase in woodland bird populations between 1994 and 2006 was in the North West, which saw a rise of 32%. There was also an increase of 19% in the Yorkshire and the Humber region. There was a decrease of 19 per cent in the South East and 10 per cent in the South West, but little change in the remaining regions. This compares with an overall England decline of 7% over the same period.

At the national level woodland birds species showing the greatest declines overall are woodland specialists (those that breed or feed mainly or solely in woodland), with Lesser Redpoll, Willow Tit and Tree Pipit declining particularly severely. Against this, other woodland specialists such as Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker and Nuthatch have increased.

Wild bird populations in the South West

Between 1994 and 2006, the South West population indices for all native bird species was unchanged . The indices for both farmland birds and for woodland birds dropped by 10%. In all cases, the indices were broadly in line with the national index.

South West: All native bird species

The population of all native birds, including farmland and woodland species, in the South West showed no significant change between 1994 and 2006, similar to the national index.

The indices for 36 of the 79 individual bird species included in the index increased by 10% or more. The Raven, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Coot, Wheatear, Shelduck saw increases of more than 100% rise in their populations, while Willow Tit, Wood Warbler and Cuckoos populations decreased by more than 70%t.

Population estimates for nineteen of the 79 individual bird species, including some farmland and woodland species, were partly based on data from areas outside the region.

The indicator for all native species published in a previous report showed populations declining by 24% between 1970 and 1994, compared with a fall of 8% for England as a whole over the same period.

South West: woodland bird species

The population of woodland birds in the South West showed the index decreasing by 10% between 1994 and 2006, broadly in line with the national index.

The indices for 11 of the 31 individual woodland bird species included in the index decreased by 10% or more. Willow Tit and Wood Warbler decreased by more than 70%.

Previously published long term trends showed woodland birds in the South West generally falling faster that the national average, declining by 32% between 1970 and 1994. Sixteen out of the 26 species covered by the index declined over the period, with a large decline for Tawny Owls. Comparisons between the two periods need to be approached with care, due to differences in methodology and species composition.

Why have woodland bird populations declined?

Woodland birds have been affected by the increasing loss of woodland and hedgerows. Remaining woodland tends to be patchy and smaller, which may disrupt dispersal between woodlands and alter population dynamics. Extensive research is underway to try and find the causes of the declines in woodland birds.

South West: farmland bird species

The population of farmland birds in the South West showed significant change, with the index decreasing by 10% between 1994 and 2006, similar to the national index.

The indices for seven of the 16 individual farmland bird species included in the index showed a decrease of 10% or more. Lapwing, Starling and Grey Partridge saw decreases of more than 50% in their populations. Greenfinch population increased by more than 50%.

Previously published long term trends showed farmland bird populations in the South West declining by 45% between 1970 and 1994, with 10 of the 15 individual species covered by the old index showing falling populations, with a large decline for Grey Partridges. Due to the differences in species composition and methodology, comparisons between the two periods need to be approached with care.

Why have farmland bird populations declined?

Birds are particularly susceptible to changes in both arable and livestock farming, such as the intensification of farming. Increasingly intensive farming over the last 30 years (encouraged by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)) has been directly linked to declines in farmland bird population. A number of related factors include:

• Changing farming practices, including the growth of new crop varieties that can grow through the winter months and resulting in the loss of over-winter stubble. This stubble used to provide vast areas of land on which birds, such as corn buntings, skylarks and grey partridges, could forage during the winter months.
• Loss of habitat diversity and quality caused by increasing agricultural specialisation
• Loss of hedgerows and other uncropped habitats
• Use of different pesticides
• Increasingly Intensive, specialised livestock farming systems have replaced the more extensive mixed farms - resulting in more farmers cutting for silage earlier in the year rather than leaving for hay, draining and reseeding of wet grassland and increased pressure from over-grazing.

The RSPB website provides more information about the impacts of changes in arable and livestock farming on farmland birds.

Seabirds

The populations of seabirds in England indicator (Defra, 2007) aims to maintain and promote the recovery of the overall quality of our seas and coasts, including populations of seabirds. Key trends include:

• The all-species annual seabird indicator, showing trends since 1986 for nine species, is relatively stable, with the index fluctuating around the 1986 baseline and showing little change between 2004 and 2005.
• The two sub-indicators of the annual indicator, separated by feeding behaviour, have shown greater changes in the last year. The sub-indicator for three sub-surface piscivores (Cormorant, Shag and Guillemot) has dropped recently, due to a fall of one third in Shag populations caused by high adult mortality in the winter of 2004/05, but still remains about 30% up on the 1986 baseline. Conversely, the sub-indicator for five surface piscivores (Kittiwake and the four commoner tern species) is now broadly stable, but is still about 20% below baseline.

Seabird populations 1986 - 2005

click to enlarge

Source: RSPB, BTO & Defra (2007)

An annual report of seabird populations at colonies throughout Britain and Ireland is produced jointly by JNCC, RSPB and SOTEAG, as part of JNCC's Seabird Monitoring Programme. The 2005 report can be downloaded here.

Climate Change: Wildlife & Adaption - 20 questions & answers

A new RSPB publication Climate Change: Wildlife & Adaptation: 20 Questions & Answers is now available to download.

Many species won’t adapt quickly enough unless we help them - now’s the time for far-reaching action to help wildlife adapt to climate change. This new document provides a coherent set of answers to the questions that many concerned about the natural environment ask when it comes to birds, biodiversity and climate pressures.

Studies of the global impact of climate change on wildlife have rightly made headlines: a million species on the path towards extinction by 2050; the end of polar bears by the 2080s; the collapse of seabird populations. There are some climate change winners, but scientists predict that the overwhelming effect of climate change upon biodiversity will be damaging. The ways in which climate change will affect wildlife are quite complex and all of them interact.

They fall into the following broad categories:

• Impacts on ‘climate space’: favourable climate conditions are moving location, requiring species distributions to shift typically north and uphill.
• Changes in the timings of seasonal events: these can lead to a range of ecological mismatches, such as the availability of food for young birds, leading to their starvation.
• The impacts of extreme weather events: extreme events such as storms and droughts can kill individuals through cold, wetness, inundation or starvation. Where these become more frequent, they can have effects at the population and species levels.
• Changes in community ecology: changes to competitive advantages between species and the spread and impacts of invasive species and diseases are likely to lead to markedly different communities of plants and animals than those we know now.
• Changes in land use and management: as the climate changes, farming, forestry, water management and many other land uses are likely to change with it. These activities are all-important for wildlife, and the way they adapt may offer both opportunities and threats to biodiversity.

This report has been launched in order to highlight the issue at political party conferences, the report says pledges of funds should back these guarantees and be laid out in the government's Climate Change Bill, which is expected in the Queen's Speech in November.

Climate change is causing fewer wetland birds to migrate to the UK

Research conducted by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust has revealed that fewer wetland birds are migrating to Britain over the winter.

Monitoring of wetlands at the Wash, Morecombe Bay, Norfolk Coast, Solway Firth and the estuaries of the Humber, Thames, Dee and Mersey between 2001 and 2004 has revealed fewer migratory ducks, geese and wading birds, indicating that they are remaining closer to their Arctic breeding grounds.

Ducks, geese and waders are attracted by the relatively warmer winter conditions in the Gulf Stream protected British Isles but global warming is blamed for the migrating birds preferring cooler northern and eastern waters.

Britain is the winter home for about 10m wetland birds and the Wash sees populations of 350,000 while other sites and the estuaries have numbers of more than 100,000.

However, heavy development of traditional sites in the south of England have seen loss of habitat which has caused the bird populations to move away.

Species such as the Grey Plover and Dark-bellied Brent Goose, whose populations peaked in the early 1990s, after long periods of increase, numbers are now declining steadily. However, numbers of Little Egrets, Pink Footed Geese, Gadwall and Black-tailed Godwit are all reaching record levels.

The new online Wetland Bird Survey Alerts Report highlights that waterbirds that have undergone major declines both nationally and on important sites. One of the major conservation issues highlighted by the report, is the loss of over fifty five thousand diving ducks from Lough Neagh and Lough Beg in Northern Ireland. On protected areas generally, around one fifth of all the species evaluated have shown declines of more than 50%.

The latest over-wintering waterbird trends for the UK and its protected areas are now available from the BTO.

Big Garden Bird Watch 2008 results

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch aims to find the most commonly seen garden birds. Wild birds are a fantastic indicator of the health of the environment and the survey requires only one hour to take part, producing a snapshot of winter garden bird populations.

Results of the 2008 survey reveals that over the weekend of the 26th and 27th January almost 400,000 people counted over 6 million birds across 228,000 gardens.

Top 10 birds In UK gardens

South West 2008 results

A full list of the top 10 birds spotted during the 2008 Big Garden Birdwatch survey for each county in the South West can be downloaded here (excel spreadsheet).

The increase in chaffinches counted in UK gardens during Birdwatch 2008 was mirrored in South West gardens. Chaffinches are now in the top 3 most common birds in our gardens in all counties, with the exception of the Isles of Scilly and Gloucestershire.

Breakdown for South West counties reveal the most common birds (top 3) are:

Wildlife crime

Reported crimes against birds of prey reached an all-time high in 2007, increasing by a massive 40% on the previous year, according to the RSPB's Bird Crime 2007 report (RSPB, 2008).

In 2007, the RSPB received 1,208 reports of potential offences against wild birds in the United Kingdom, of these there were:

• 262 reports of shooting and destruction of birds of prey, with the confirmed shooting of 34 individual birds of prey
• 165 reports of poisoning incidents, including 76 confirmed incidents of abuse (see Appendix V) involving the confirmed poisonings of at least 104 individual birds or animals
• 39 egg-collecting incidents, including two confirmed and four probable egg robberies from the nests of Schedule 1 species
• 22 reports of illegal taking, possession or sale of birds of prey
• 48 reports of illegal taking, possession or sale of wild birds other than birds of prey, predominantly finches
• 32 reports relating to illegal disturbance or photography of Schedule 1 birds
• 619 reports of shooting and destruction of non birds of prey, including trappings and nest destructions

The annual figure of 1,208 incidents is the highest number of reports that has ever been received by the Investigations Unit (The 2002–2006 annual average was 686 incidents) and the 2007 reported incidents are more than double the number of incidents recorded in 2004.

Birdcrime 2006 saw the first time that annual reported figures exceeded 1,000 incidents. This may have been due to better reporting techniques and efforts by the National Wildlife Crime Unit to collate wildlife crime figures. 2007 sees an increase to this figure, which illustrates that wildlife offences involving wild birds are showing no signs of decreasing, especially involving raptors: 2007 shows the highest ever number of reported incidents involving the shooting and destruction of birds of prey.

The breakdown of reported incidents from the United Kingdom shows that 67% occurred within England, 19% in Scotland, 10.5% in Wales and just under 3% in Northern Ireland (just over 0.5% occurred in an unknown location in the United Kingdom).

There were 110 incidents of wildlife crime in the South West in 2007, a 34% increase on 2006. Within the region, Devon had the largest number of reported incidents, with 41 or 37% of the regional total. This was followed by Gloucestershire with 22 or 20%.

Cornwall saw the largest increase in reported incidents, with an 100% increase in bird crime from 8 incidents in 2006 to 16 in 2007. This was closely followed by Gloucestershire with an 83% increase, from 12 incidents to 22.

Borth Dorset and Wiltshire reported declines in the number of bird crime incidents between 2006 and 2007, with -47% and -22% respectively.

The RSPB's annual 'Birdcrime' report, which shows that although numbers of incidents affecting raptors in the region have dropped by 19%, gulls, swallows and swans are increasingly suffering at the hands of criminals - with incidents involving 'other' bird species increasing by 67%.

In Devon, Cornwall and Gloucestershire, non bird of prey incidents had more than doubled since 2006 and gulls seem to be hardest hit, with increases of 119%, 120% and 113% respectively.

Wildlife crime in the South West 2007:

Bird Track - online bird recording scheme

BirdTrack is an exciting new project that looks more closely at migration movements of birds throughout Britain and Ireland at all times of year.

BirdTrack provides facilities for observers to store and manage their own records and for forwarding records to County Bird Recorders. The results will contribute to knowledge of birds and to their conservation at national, regional and local scales.

Register to start tracking birds in your own area, view maps and results.

European bird trends

The European Union has promised to halt the loss of wildlife in Europe by 2010.

European birds are protected by the EU Birds Directive (1979), which addresses the conservation of all wild birds throughout the European Union, including marine areas, and covers their protection, management, control and exploitation.

It applies to the birds, their eggs, nests and habitats. It places a broad requirement on Member States to take necessary measures to maintain the populations of all wild birds at levels determined by ecological, scientific and cultural needs.

More information about the EU Birds Directive, including background information and UK action, is available from the RSPB.

Status of European birds

According to Birds in the European Union: a status assessment, a new in-depth report published by BirdLife International (2004), 226 species of birds (43% of all those occurring regularly in Europe) are at risk from intensive agriculture or changes in climate.

Species in decline

Many species are declining, rare or localised, whilst populations of others remain heavily depleted following huge declines during the 1970s and 1980s. At present rates of decline, it is expected that some species may disappear from parts of Europe in the very near future - including the Mediterranean shearwater (a seabird from the Balearic Islands) and the Azores bullfinch (living only on one small island in the Atlantic).

In terms of UK birds, it is the first time that species such as the house sparrow, snipe, starling, lapwing and corn bunting have been listed as birds of conservation concern in Europe. Other European birds of concern in decline in the UK include:

• Wading birds, including snipe, curlews and lapwings. These are declining rapidly in the UK, largely because of drainage of lowland river valleys and habitat degradation
• Migratory birds nesting in the UK and wintering in sub-Saharan Africa, including wood warblers, wheatear and house martins
• Woodland birds, including the marsh tits
• Farmland birds, including corn buntings, tree sparrows and linnets
• Urban birds such as house sparrows and starlings.

Species in recovery

Fourteen bird species have shown signs of recovery due to improved protection and conservation efforts. Species such as the Audouin's gull, the Eurasian griffon vulture and the white-tailed eagle, have recovered well from severe population declines.

UK species such as the avocet, peregrine falcon, red kites and stone-curlew are recovering in the UK, although may still declining across much of their European range.

European bird data

Data on key European bird species is available from BirdLife International, searches can be tailored according to family, genus, species, common name, country or status.

Action to decline the loss of birds

The Government’s objective is to reverse the long-term decline in populations of farmland and woodland birds. Specifically, the strategy aims to halt or reverse declines in 26 priority bird species identified in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) by 2008. Eleven of these species are farmland or woodland birds included in this indicator, including the skylark, corn bunting, song thrush and bullfinch.

Bird health

Defra have launched a new website to provide information about farm, domestic and wild animal health. The UK Veterinary Surveillance website contains key information about diseases in birds, including:

• Commercially bred birds (chicken, turkey, ducks and geese)
• Gamebirds (including grouse, partridges and pheasants)
• Common bird diseases

Bird Flu

Avian influenza (bird flu) is a highly infectious notifiable disease affecting many species of birds, including commercial, wild and pet birds. A severe form of avian influenza or ‘bird flu’ – called H5N1 – has affected poultry flocks and other birds in several countries since 2003.

There is no firm evidence that H5N1 has acquired the ability to pass easily from person to person. However, concern remains that the virus might develop this ability, or that it might mix with human flu viruses to create a new virus. It is this ability of avian influenza, to change and to mix, that has given rise to the fear of a new human flu pandemic.

Reporting dead birds

If you need to report dead wild gulls, waders, ducks, geese or swans; groups of dead birds or need advice on avian flu, please contact the Defra Helpline 08459 33 55 77 and choose the Avian Influenza option which will be open from 8:30am - 8pm, 7 days a week. More information on finding dead birds is availabl from the Defra website.

View the health page for the latest situation report and further advice.