Miliaria calandra -- Linnaeus, 1758ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- PASSERIFORMES -- EMBERIZIDAECommon names: Corn Bunting; Bruant proyer

European Red List AssessmentEuropean Red List Status

LC -- Least Concern, (IUCN version 3.1)

Assessment InformationYear published: 2015Date assessed: 2015-03-31Assessor(s): BirdLife InternationalReviewer(s): Symes, A.Compiler(s): Ashpole, J., Burfield, I., Ieronymidou, C., Pople, R., van Kleunen A., Wheatley, H. &

Wright, L.Assessment RationaleEuropean regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)EU27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

At both European and EU27 scales this species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (30% decline over ten years or three generations).

For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern within both Europe and the EU27.

OccurrenceCountries/Territories of OccurrenceNative:Albania; Andorra; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland, Rep. of; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malta; Moldova; Montenegro; Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Canary Is. (to ES); Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Gibraltar (to UK)Vagrant:Faroe Islands (to DK); Finland; Norway

PopulationThe European population is estimated at 18,300,000-31,300,000 pairs, which equates to 36,700,000-62,600,000 mature individuals. The population in the EU27 is estimated at 14,600,000-20,300,000 pairs, which equates to 29,100,000-40,500,000 mature individuals. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF.

TrendIn Europe and the EU27 the population size is estimated to be stable. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF.

Habitats and EcologyIn the northern part of its range this species is confined mainly to cereal fields and hay meadows. In southern Europe it has a broader habitat array occupying several types of open country, including grasslands and steppes. It avoids extensive bush cover. The species is mainly sedentary. During winter it gathers in flocks and may show rather short distance displacements to favourable feeding grounds, often fallow or stubble fields (Hagemeijer & Blair 1997, Bos & van Noorden 2010, Madge 2011). The breeding season starts relatively late, from late May onward in north-western populations, but probably earlier in southern European

populations. The nest is placed on the ground, hidden among vegetation. It is entirely built by the female. The clutch, usually four to six eggs, is incubated by the female alone. The incubation period is 12–14 days. The chicks are fed by the female (with the male in attendance) and leave the nest after 9–13 often before being able to fly (Madge 2011). The species's diet consists mainly of plant seeds, but during the breeding season it includes a high percentage of invertebrates, primarily small insects (Madge 2011).Habitats & Altitude

Habitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance OccurrenceArtificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land suitable residentArtificial/Terrestrial - Pastureland suitable residentGrassland - Temperate suitable residentAltitude max. 500 m Occasional altitudinal limits

ThreatsThe strong decline of the species in north-western Europe is mainly a consequence of agricultural intensification. Cropped areas of spring-sown cereals have decreased, mowing of hay has been advanced and the use of pesticides has increased. Winter food supplies have decreased as a consequence of the loss of spring tillage, increased pesticide usage and improved harvesting and storage techniques. The increase of winter-sown cereal cropland has affected the species adversely through increased nest losses, as a consequence of early harvesting and the early ploughing of winter cereal stubble fields (Donald and Forrest 1995, Hagemeijer & Blair 1997, Madge 2011).The abolition of the European set-aside scheme is of great concern, not only for birds. Set-aside has provided valuable food and nesting sites for many farmland birds whose populations were declining due to agricultural intensification (BirdLife International 2008). The species may be vulnerable to climatic extremes along its northern range limits (Hagemeijer & Blair 1997, Madge 2011).Threats & Impacts

Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and StressesAgriculture & aquaculture

Agro-industry farming

Timing Scope Severity ImpactOngoing Minority (<50%) Rapid Declines Medium Impact

StressesEcosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation

Climate change & severe weather

Habitat shifting & alteration

Timing Scope Severity ImpactUnknown Minority (<50%) Unknown Unknown

StressesEcosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation

Pollution Herbicides and pesticides

Timing Scope Severity ImpactOngoing Minority (<50%) Rapid Declines Medium Impact

StressesIndirect ecosystem effects

ConservationConservation Actions UnderwayThe species is classified as Critically Endangered on the Dutch Red List (Hustings et al. 2004) and Vulnerable on the Swiss Red List (Keller 2010). The species is on the British list of Birds of Conservation Concern (Eaton et al. 2009).

Conservation Actions ProposedMeasures related to the restoration of the species's habitat in farmland should be taken and effectively carried out in agri-environment schemes/targeted management interventions. Specific measures include: increasing invertebrate availability by providing grassy margins or beetle banks and by selective spraying of headlands (Brickle et al. 2000); providing early summer and late summer nesting habitat close to each other to give the species the opportunity to rear two broods in a season; winter barley or late mown hay grown alongside weed-rich or undersown spring cereals would be a good combination; set-aside or similar agri-environment crop types should remain uncut and unsprayed during the breeding season and should preferably be offered close to song-posts, such as overhead wires (Perkins et al. 2012); the provision of unharvested, extensively managed cereal crops as an agri-environment option where intensively managed cereal crops are the main nesting habitat (Setchfield et al. 2012); delayed mowing (as part of agri-environment schemes) in areas where the species still breeds in meadows could significantly improve its breeding performance (Perkins et al.

2013); measures aimed at providing winter food habitat, including stubble fields with cereal seeds (Perkins et al. 2007, Perkins 2008, Bos & van Noorden 2010).

BibliographyBirdLife International 2008. Abolition of set-aside in Europe threatens farmland birds. Presented as part of the BirdLife State of the world's birds website. Available from: http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/133. Checked: 31/03/2015BirdLife International 2015. Species factsheet: Miliaria calandra. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 31/03/2015.Bos, J. and van Noorden, B. 2010. Overwinterende Grauwe Gorzen in Limburg 2000-2010. Aantalsontwikkeling en suggesties voor beheer van akkerreservaten. Limburgse Vogels 20: 24-33.Brickle, N.W, Harper, D.G.C., Aebischer, N.J. and Cockayne, C.H. 2000. Effects of agricultural intensification on the breeding success of corn buntings Miliaria calandra. Journal of Applied Ecology 37: 742-755.Donald, P.F. and Forrest, C. 1995. The effects of agricultural change on population size of Corn Buntings Miliaria calandra on individual farms. Bird Study 42: 205-215.Eaton, M.A., Brown, A.F., Noble, D.G., Musgrove, A.J., Hearn, R., Aebischer, N.J., Gibbons, D.W., Evans, A. and Gregory, R.D. 2009. Birds of Conservation Concern 3: the population status of birds in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. British Birds 102: 296–341.Hagemeijer, E.J.M. & Blair, M.J. (eds) 1997. The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds: Their Distribution and Abundance. T & A D Poyser, London.Hustings, F., Borggreve, C., van Turnhout, C. and Thissen, J. 2004. Basisrapport voor de Rode Lijst Vogels volgens Nederlandse en IUCN-criteria. SOVON-onderzoeksrapport 2004/13. SOVON Vogelonderzoek Nederland, Beek-Ubbergen.Keller, V., Gerber, A., Schmid, H., Volet, B. and Zbinden, N. 2010. Liste rouge oiseaux nicheurs. Espèces menacées en Suisse, état 2010. Office fédéral de l’environnement, Berne, et Station ornithologique suisse, Sempach. L’environnement pratique n° 1019. 53 p.Madge, C.S.M. 2011. Corn Bunting (Miliaria calandra). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. and Christie D.A. (eds.) 2014. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol 16. Tanagers to New World Blackbirds. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.Perkins, A.J., Anderson, G. and Wilson, J.D. 2007. Seed food preferences of granivorous farmland passerines. Bird Study 54: 46-53.Perkins, A.J., Maggs, H.E., Wilson, D.J., Watson, A. and Smout, C. 2008. Targeted management intervention reduces rate of population decline of Corn Buntings Miliara calandra in eastern Scotland. Bird Study 55: 52-58.Perkins, A.J., Watson, A. Maggs, H.E. and Wilson, J.D. 2012. Conservation insights from changing associations between habitat, territory distribution and mating systems of Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra over a 20-year population decline. Ibis 154: 601-615.Perkins, A.J., Maggs, H.E., Wilson, J.D. and Watson, A. 2013. Delayed mowing increases corn bunting Emberiza calandra nest success in an agri-environment scheme trial. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 181: 80–89.Setchfield, R.P., Mocklow, C., Davey, A., Bradter, U. and Anderson, G.Q.A. 2012. An agri-environment option boosts productivity of Corn Buntings Miliara calandra in the UK. Ibis 154: 235-247.

Map (see overleaf)