Farmland bird population plummets

The numbers of 19 species of bird that rely on farmland to breed or feed, are now half of what they were in the 1970s.

The population of turtle doves, traditionally a symbol of peace and love, has fallen more dramatically by over 90 per cent in total, and in the last five years alone, by more than 50 per cent.

The RSPB said there are now only seven turtle doves for each 100 that existed in 1970. The birds rely on seed-rich wildflowers and weeds in the countryside.

Grey partridges, tree sparrows and corn bunting are also at a similarily low level.

The most dramatic decline in the farmland bird population happened in the late 1970s and 1990s, according to new figures released by the Department of Environment, Farming and Agriculture (Defra). In 2009, numbers fell by more than 9 per cent.

The study collected data in the UK and separately in England, and also covered the number of seabirds, woodland birds and wetland birds.

General species fared better overall, with numbers of woodpigeons and jackdaws doubling and the population of seabirds rising by a third, thanks to a soaring population in Scotland.

The percentage difference in UK breeding birds, recorded in 2010

Farmland birds: 48 per cent lower than 1970
Woodland birds: 19 per cent lower than 1970
Water and wetland birds: 4.3 per cent lower than 1975
Seabirds: 30 per cent higher than 1986 (3.3 per cent higher in England)
Wintering waterbirds: 83 per cent higher than 1975

Protection of farmland birds

Martin Harper, RSPB conservation director, said the figures show that farmland wildlife is struggling, particularly the turtle dove – “a beautiful bird which has an iconic connection with the British rural landscape,” he added.

But because some species are migratory, they may be facing problems in other countries, such as illegal hunting in the Mediterranean, and changes to farming in Africa.

The conservation charity has been working with farmers to bring the right mix of seed-rich plants into the countryside to try and encourage a population rise.

Farms involved in Natural England’s Higher Level Stewardship opt in to a number of environmentally friendly options. To protect farmland birds specifically, specialists have developed a number of measures, including in-field nesting habitats, seed food supplies in winter and early spring, and insect-rich foraging habitats in every 100 acres.

The RSPB said a “small army of farmers” were making an effort to put wildflower margins and skylark plots in place and taking care not to overgraze land so that these species have space to forage, nest and feed their young.

Changes to regulation

However Chancellor George Osborne announced yesterday in the autumn statement that the government would be looking to effectively loosen conservation legislation, by reviewing the EU Habitats and Wild Birds Directives – one of the EU’s oldest and most comprehensive pieces of legislation to protect wild birds.

The chancellor said it was holding business back: “if we burden them with endless social and environmental goals – however worthy in their own right – then not only will we not achieve those goals, but the businesses will fail, jobs will be lost, and our country will be poorer,” he said.

The chancellor’s determination yesterday to rip up the environmental rule book drove a particularly icy blast across an increasingly bleak landscape for wildlife. Martin Harper, RSPB

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents half of farms and businesses in rural England and Wales, welcomed the chancellor’s comments.

Christopher Price, CLA legal and policy director, told Channel 4 News that EU directives were interpreted differently by local authorities and in some areas, tied farmers up in red tape. “Of course wildlife needs to be protected, but the way LAs go about it, it often ends up being expensive, cumbersome and slow,” he said.

In relation to wild birds, cormorants and buzzards are just some of the farmland birds which can cause problems to farmers.

“We think it makes much more sense to develop stewardships schemes, than impose more regulation,” Mr Price told Channel 4 News. “We want farmers and land owners to be pleased when they find a rare species.”

Conservation at risk

The RSPB’s Mr Harper said that wildlife faces a growing number of threats. “The chancellor’s determination yesterday to rip up the environmental rule book drove a particularly icy blast across an increasingly bleak landscape for wildlife,” he said.

Nik Shelton, RSPB spokesman told Channel 4 News that he was “puzzled” about why the CLA supported George Osborne’s deregulation. ” The CLA represent land owners. If I owned land, I would want to protect it from development,” he said.

However, along with the CLA, the RSPB supports the expansion of stewardship schemes. “One area we do agree on is the development of schemes that incentivise farmers to look after their land, including the wildlife it contains,” Mr Shelton added.