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The state of theUK’s birds2000

• The UK Government is committed to using breeding bird populations as an indicator

of sustainability. Its headline indicator shows that common birds are declining,

woodland ones modestly and farmland ones steeply, giving considerable cause for

concern. A slight upturn in 1999 does little to change the long term declines.

• Progress towards meeting the species targets in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan is

poor. Three-quarters of the plan targets are unlikely to be met. Encouraging progress

with stone-curlew, bittern, corncrake and cirl bunting is outweighed by the critical

status of black grouse and capercaillie, sustained declines of farmland species, and the

effective extinction of red-backed shrike and wryneck.

• Populations of scarce breeding species, in particular some birds of prey, have

recovered strongly as a result of conservation action. Raptor persecution, however,

remains a threat to these fragile populations, and is still limiting hen harrier numbers.

• On the basis of long-term declines, breeding birds such as lapwing, lesser spotted

woodpecker, starling, willow tit, marsh tit and yellowhammer may need to be added

to the list of Biodiversity Action Plan priority species in the near future.

• Wintering waterbirds have increased strongly as a consequence of protection,

re-creation and management of habitats. Waders and wildfowl have benefited from

changes in hunting legislation and the creation of reserve networks linking migration

sites and breeding grounds.

• Climate is known to have a considerable impact upon both breeding and wintering

birds, and climate change will pose a very significant challenge to the conservation of

species and their habitats.

The state of the UK’s birds 2000

Black-tailed godwits by C H Gomersall (RSPB Images)

3The state of the UK’s birds 2000

Marsh warblers rallied in the 1990s but are falling in number once again▲

Introduction

1 Throughout this report BAP refers to UK and not Local Biodiversity Action Plans2 BoCC red-listed species have undergone ≥50% decline in UK breeding population or range over the previous 25 years, or a historical decline 1800–1995, or are

species of global conservation concern; species are amber-listed for several reasons, but particularly because they have undergone a 25–49% decline in breedingpopulation or range in UK during the last 25 years; or for wintering wildfowl and waders, the UK holds > 20% of the north-west Europe or flyway population.

The state of the UK’s birds 2000 is thesecond in a series of annual reportssummarising the fortunes of birdpopulations in the United Kingdom(UK). Wherever possible,population trends are presented forthe whole of the UK and cover theperiod 1970–2000. Information isdrawn from the best sourcesavailable. The report is divided intotwo parts covering breeding andwintering birds. Most breedingbirds in the UK are residents, buttheir numbers are swelled eachspring by migrants with winteringgrounds far to the south. Winteringbirds in the UK are a mixture ofresidents and visitors with breedinggrounds farther north and east.Most notable among winter visitorsare the wildfowl and waders andtheir populations are considered inthe second part of the report.

The first section (page 4) beginswith the UK Government’s latestQuality of Life headline birdindicator published by theDepartment of the Environment,Transport and the Regions (DETR).This gives a measure of the healthof the environment by summarisingtrends in the numbers of commonbreeding birds. It then considers thespecies which are priorities in theUK Government’s BiodiversityAction Plan (BAP) (page 5). TheBAP1 identifies the work that isnecessary to improve the adversestatus of these priority species.Overall, and individual, progresstowards the BAP targets is assessed.

The report then focuses onpopulation trends among otherwell monitored breeding species,including species red-listed inBirds of Conservation Concern(BoCC)2 but not BAP priorities(page 10). It highlights those birdsthat are doing particularly badlyand those doing well.

The second section begins with anindicator based on winteringwaterbirds (page 16), using thesame methods as those in the UKGovernment’s Quality of Lifebreeding bird indicator.

The report ends by summarisingthe main areas of success andfailure for bird conservation andcalls for more concerted andwidespread conservation action tohelp the recovery of common butdeclining breeding birds (page 19).

The names of BoCC red list speciesappear in red and amber-listedspecies in orange2.

This report has been produced bythe three non-governmentalorganisations (NGOs) most closelyinvolved in bird monitoring in theUK, the Royal Society for theProtection of Birds (RSPB), theBritish Trust for Ornithology (BTO)and The Wildfowl & WetlandsTrust (WWT). All bird monitoringin the UK is undertaken incollaboration with the Government(principally the Joint NatureConservation Committee – JNCC –and the statutory natureconservation agencies), NGOs andmany individual volunteerornithologists.

Chris Knights (RSPB Images)

4 The state of the UK’s birds 2000

Breeding birds

The ‘Quality of Life’indicator of breedingbirds

In 1999 DETR published the WhitePaper ‘A Better Quality of Life’,which contains 150 indicators ofthe sustainability of lifestyles in theUK. Several of these indicatorsrelate to landscape and wildlife.Within a set of 15 ‘headline’indicators is one based onpopulation trends of breeding birdswhich is updated annually. Work isunderway with DETR support todevelop England, Scotland, Walesand Northern Ireland versions ofthe headline wild bird indicator, aswell as ones for Governmentregions in England. These andother indicators using country-specific data are being consideredby the devolved executives inScotland, Wales and NorthernIreland.

The publication of a wildlifeindicator among more familiareconomic and social indicators is aradical step forward and showsthat the UK Government hasrecognised that the maintenance ofbiodiversity is a key measure ofsustainability. Birds have beenchosen partly because the data areso good, but also because their

varied ecology and widespreaddistribution across the UK allowthem to be used as barometers ofchange in the environment. Addedto this, birds have a wide appealamong the general public and,through expenditure associatedwith birdwatching, contributesubstantially to local economies.

The wild bird indicatorsummarises information on thestatus of nearly 140 breedingspecies over the last 30 years. Thedata come from a range of sources,notably the Common Birds Census(CBC)3. The lines plotted areindices fixed arbitrarily to a valueof 100 in 1970. If an index rises to avalue of 200 then, on average, thepopulations in that group will havedoubled; if it falls to 50, on averagethey will have halved. Althoughthe index for all common birds roseslightly up to the mid 1970s, thepattern from then on is a shallowdecline. The marked upturn in 1999is due to milder weather in thewinter of 1998/99 which increasedthe survival of small birdssusceptible to harsh winterconditions. Even so, the common

bird index has fallen by around 5%from the mid 1970s to 1999.Looking at these trends in moredetail, woodland birds show a slowdrop in numbers since the mid1970s (down by 20%) and farmlandbirds have been in steep declineover the same period (down by40%). Both groups of birdsincreased in numbers in 1999 inresponse to milder weather. Whilethe upturn in bird numbers iswelcome, it is too early to tell if thisis the start of a long-term recovery.

There is general acceptance that thedeclines among farmland birdshave been driven by agriculturalintensification. In a positive stepforward, the Ministry ofAgriculture, Fisheries and Food(MAFF) has recently adopted atarget to reverse the long-termdecline in the number of farmlandbirds by 2020, using the farmlandbirds indicator to measure theirsuccess. As this report shows, widescale changes in farming will berequired to deliver such a recoveryeven on this relatively longtimescale.

The ‘Quality of Life’ Indicator: populations of wild birds

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Woodland species (41)Farmland species (20)

All species (139)

3 More details of the CBC are included on page 11.

Skylark: a species that has become a symbol of farmland bird decline▲

C H Gomersall (RSPB Images)


Trends in BiodiversityAction Plan species

The UK Government’s BiodiversityAction Plan includes targetedaction plans for 25 species ofbreeding bird which are either

globally threatened or which havedeclined by more than 50% in thelast 25 years. Trends, populationdata and the BAP targets for thesespecies are shown below. Sixspecies which have been the focusof conservation effort have already

met or look likely to meet theirBAP targets. Most of the remaindershow continuing rates of slow ormore rapid recent decline and it isunlikely that any of these will nowmeet the published BAP targets.

Biodiversity Action Plan species

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Data for common birds from the CBC; for more scarce species from special surveys and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel.Long-term trends relate to 1970–1998, except 1=1981–1992; 2=1970–1997; 3=1978/79–2000; 4=1970–2000; 5=1970–1999; 6=1973–1998.Short-term trends relate to 1993–1998 except 1=1991/92–1995/96; 2=1995–1997; 3=1992/94–1998/99; 4=1995–2000; 5=1995–1998; 6=1995–1999.Population estimates shown are breeding pairs except 1 = displaying or breeding males and 2 = individuals.

Song thrush -59 -5 1100000 1988–91 Restore to 1970 population level NOSkylark -52 -12 1000000 1997 Reverse decline NOLinnet -54 -13 540000 1988–91 Increase 1996 index 50% by 2008 NOReed bunting -54 -25 240000 1988–91 Increase 1996 index 50% by 2008 NOBullfinch -52 -10 200000 1988–91 Increase 1996 index 50% by 2008 NOGrey partridge -84 -27 150000 1988–91 Over 150000 by 2010 NOSpotted flycatcher -78 -10 130000 1988–91 Increase 1996 index 50% by 2008 NOTree sparrow -95 -11 110000 1988–91 Increase 1996 index 50% by 2008 NOTurtle dove -70 -24 75000 1988–91 Increase 1996 index 50% by 2008 NOCorn bunting -85 -30 19800 1993 Increase 1996 index 50% by 2008 NOBlack grouse decline -74 1 6500 1 1995–96 Maintain at 1996 level NONightjar 62 1 ? 3400 1992 4000 by 2003 YESWoodlark 704 2 83 2 1552 1997 Maintain at 1500 YESCapercaillie decline -51 3 1070 2 1998–99 20000 by 2010 NOCorncrake -12 3 10 4 638 1 2000 Maintain at 1993 level of 478 YESCirl bunting 42 30 5 453 1998 550 by 2003 YESStone-curlew -15 4 46 4 254 2000 200 by 2000, 300 by 2010 YESRoseate tern -94 5 -61 6 55 2000 200 by 2008 NOCommon scoter -69 6 -54 5 41 1998 100 for Scotland in 2008 NOMarsh warbler -69 6 -23 5 24 1998 Maintain populations, encourage

natural expansion NOBittern -69 4 16 4 22 1 2000 20 by 2000, 50 by 2010 YESRed-necked -25 5 -16 6 17 1 2000 55–60 in Shetland by 2003, 10 inphalarope Hebrides by 2005 NOWryneck decline extinct 0 1998 Retain as regular breeder NORed-backed shrike decline extinct 0 1998 Ensure success of breeding

attempts NO

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Widespread BAP species

Ten BAP species, which are stillrelatively abundant andwidespread birds throughout mostof the UK, have declinedalarmingly since the mid-70s. Theirpopulation trends, based on datafrom the CBC, mirror the Quality of

Life indicators for woodland andfarmland birds. These declinescoincide with a period of rapidintensification in farming in themid-1970s and have continuedsince. In 1999, seven of the 10species increased, although six ofthe seven had decreased in the

previous year. Two species (greypartridge and bullfinch) havedeclined in each of the last twoyears, whereas none has increasedin both. It now seems unlikely thatany of these widespread birds willmeet their BAP targets.


Changes in farming are implicatedin many of these declines. Longterm research on grey partridgeshas shown that pesticides havereduced chick survival by killingoff their insect food. The biggestdeclines of skylarks have occurredin arable areas of southernEngland. Sowing cereal crops inautumn instead of spring hasreduced the number of nestingattempts and hence the totalnumber of chicks produced byskylarks. Autumn sown cropsrapidly become too dense in latespring for skylarks to nest.Although turtle doves aremigrants which may be affectedby events in their Africanwintering grounds, there isalready evidence that changes infood availability have reduced thenumber of breeding attemptsmade each year.

Changes in food availability forchicks have also affected farmlandlinnets. Herbicides have removedthe weeds on which they prefer tofeed and, where oil seed rape isgrown, this has become animportant alternative food. Policychanges that reduce the amount ofoil seed rape grown could haveserious implications for linnets inthe absence of other conservationmeasures. In southern England,bullfinches in farmland also nowfeed their young on oil seed rape,but nest success may be morerelated to changes in the extentand quality of hedgerows andwoodlands. Reed bunting nestsappear to be more likely to be lostto predators in heavily managedfarmland where nesting cover issparse. Shortage of food as a resultof increased pesticide use isbelieved to be important forbreeding corn buntings.

Tree sparrows may have beenaffected by a reduction in winterseed supplies and have beentargeted for emergency feedingtrials in several parts of the UKwhere declines have been mostsevere. In southern England,farmland song thrushes have

Numbers of grey partridge, turtle dove and skylark

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Turtle doveGrey partridge

Skylark

Numbers of linnet, bullfinch, reed bunting and corn bunting

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BullfinchLinnetCorn bunting

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Numbers of song thrush, spotted flycatcher and tree sparrow

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Spotted flycatcherTree sparrow

Song thrush

Clockwise from top left: farmland

by Andrew Hay (RSPB Images),woodlark by Roger Wilmshurst(RSPB Images), red-necked

phalarope and grey partridges bySteve Knell (RSPB Images)


suffered from the loss of grasslandin intensively managed areas.Survival rates have declined andthe number of nesting attemptsand thus the eventual number ofchicks produced is markedlyhigher in areas of more mixedfarming. Song thrushes, spottedflycatchers and bullfinches are theonly widespread BAP species tomake extensive use of woodland.As with woodland birds in generalin the Quality of Life indicator, littleis known about the causes ofdeclines in these populations (seepage 12).

Scarce and rare BAP species

The situation with the scarce andrarer BAP species is rather lessgloomy. With 254 pairs in 2000,stone-curlews have exceeded theirfirst BAP target and are well on theway to that set for 2010.Corncrakes again increasedslightly in 2000 and are now wellpast their original BAP target.Continuing action byconservationists and farmersmaintains the hope that cirlbuntings will also achieve their2003 target. All three havebenefited from a variety of

agri-environment, nature reservemanagement and nest protectionschemes. Despite this, they remainsubstantially less abundant thanthey were 40 years ago. Newtargets need to be set and moredone to return them to their formerranges.

Strong recoveries by nightjar andwoodlark populations are largelythe result of their successfulexploitation of clear-felled and

recently planted areas withincommercial conifer plantations.Sympathetic forest managementhas enhanced their recovery.Woodlarks have met their BAPtarget and it is likely thatnightjars, which are due to besurveyed fully in 2002, will alsoachieve this goal. Favourable forestmanagement practices willcontinue to be needed to ensurethese recoveries are sustained.

Numbers of corncrake, stone-curlew and cirl bunting

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Cirl bunting distribution 1998Cirl bunting distribution 1968

Declining cirl bunting distribution

▲


Still one of the most threatenedspecies in the UK, bitternscontinue to make a slow recoverywith 22 booming males in 2000. Inthe last six years, under an EU-funded scheme, more than 700 haof reedbed have been re-habilitated and a further 300 hacreated. Sustaining this level ofeffort should help to ensure thatthe 2010 target of 50 boomingmales is met. When last surveyedin 1995, there were 95 pairs ofcommon scoters in Scotland, closeto the 2008 target. Numbers mayhave declined since.

Red-backed shrikes and wryneckscan no longer be considered asregular breeding birds within theUK. Having rallied during theearly 1990s, marsh warblers haveagain fallen in number. Whilst siteprotection and habitatmanagement at existing sites isimportant, this species looksunlikely to meet its BAP target.

Although breeding red-neckedphalaropes can respond toappropriate management of theirwetland habitats, the target fortheir Shetland strongholds isunlikely to be met in the short-term. Roseate tern numbers withinthe UK continue to remain at avery low level. A further decreasein 2000 shows that there is little

prospect of meeting the 2008target. Colonies in the UK formonly part a larger population innorth-west Europe. Any furtherrecovery is likely to be determinedby what happens at the thrivingcolony at Rockabill in the IrishRepublic.

Continuing long-term declines ofcapercaillie and black grouse giveconsiderable cause for concern.Both species are now the subjectsof major programmes ofconservation action to improvetheir pinewood and moorlandhabitats. Although black grouseare showing some encouraging

signs of recovery in Wales and thenorth Pennines, there is littlechance that either will achievetheir BAP targets. Capercailliebecame extinct in Scotland in the18th century; preventing this fromhappening again is an ambitiousshort-term goal.

The status of the remaining BAPspecies, the Scottish crossbill,remains unclear because ofdifficulties in identification.Ongoing research is examiningtheir taxonomic status andseparation from other crossbillspecies.

Numbers of bittern

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The challenging aim for thecapercaillie is to prevent its

extinction as a breedingbird in the UK

▲

Phillip J Newman (RSPB Images)

Trends in widespreadand common birds

Of about 70 species monitored byeither of the two long runningterrestrial surveys – CBC andWaterways Bird Survey (WBS) –roughly half have declined since1970. Eighteen species havedeclined by more than 50% andanother 13 by more than 25%.Species for which results givegreatest concern include a numberof farmland BAP species – treesparrow, grey partridge, cornbunting, linnet and turtle dove(see page 5). The main causes ofthese declines are changes inagricultural practices towardsmore intensive farming. Declinesin two other farmland species –yellowhammer and starling –suggest that they may nowwarrant red listing. Woodlandspecies such as lesser redpoll,spotted flycatcher, tree pipit,willow tit, marsh tit, bullfinch

and lesser spotted woodpeckerhave also declined by 50% or more.Causes of long-term declines inwoodland species are varied (asdescribed below) and may includechanges in forest management,increased browsing by deer andcompetition with other species.

Of the species that have increasedover the past 30 years, the collareddove, buzzard, sparrowhawk andstock dove exhibit the mostdramatic gains. Numbers of thetwo raptors and stock doves haveprobably increased due to recoveryfrom the effects of organochlorinepesticides and, in the case of theraptors, from reduced persecution.Reasons for the rapid expansion ofcollared doves across Europe areunclear. Magpie, carrion crow andjackdaw increased considerablysince the late 1960s, whereas thejay has declined. Waterbirds suchas mute swan, mallard and coothave increased on CBC plots,trends mirrored on WBS.

The CBC and WBS may not be thebest source of data for uplandspecies such as meadow pipit orcurlew because most plots are onfarmland or woodland in the southand east of Britain. Forthcomingsurveys of upland habitats acrossthe UK will confirm whether thedeclines in these species shown bythe CBC are common to allhabitats.

The CBC shows a 40% decline inlapwing numbers between 1970and 1998, but this mayunderestimate the true extent ofdecline across the UK. A survey inEngland and Wales in 1998showed an almost 50% decline in11 years and similar markeddeclines over short periods of timehave been found in NorthernIreland. Taken together, there is astrong case for considering thelapwing for the red list and as aBAP priority species.


Birds of deciduous woodland show a moderate decline, for reasons that are still unclear

▲

Paul Collin (RSPB Images)


Population trends of widespread and common breeding birds

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Long-term trend – data are derived from counts on Common Birds Census plots since 1966 (except grey wagtail, dipper, kingfisher andcommon sandpiper, which come from the Waterways Bird Survey, running since 1974). The CBC has been run by BTO in partnership withJNCC and WBS is run by BTO. Data from the start year to 1999 were analysed in a Poisson regression model that allows trends to change non-linearly and smooths the data to reduce the effects of short-term fluctuations. The figure reported is the percentage population change from1970 to 1998.

Note that census plots are concentrated in south-east England and may not be representative of all parts of the UK.

Caveats – interpretative notes to indicate the reliability of the trend1 Small sample size in early years of the time period. 2 Small sample size in later years of the time period. 3 Trends may not be representative of the whole of the UK due to geographical or habitat-related sampling bias towards populations with low

densities.4 The species shows very large natural fluctuations from year to year.5 Population has not completely recovered from 1968–69 crash caused by drought in Sahel.

Graphs and further details of these population changes can be found at http://www.bto.org/birdtrends.

Tree sparrow -95 Sedge warbler -11 3Lesser redpoll -93 3 X Jay -11Corn bunting -85 2 Lesser whitethroat -9Grey partridge -84 Tawny owl -6 3Spotted flycatcher -78 Greenfinch 5Tree pipit -77 3 X Goldfinch 12Willow tit -72 X Coal tit 15Woodcock -71 3 X House martin 19Turtle dove -70 Chiffchaff 19Starling -65 X Swallow 23Lesser spotted woodpecker -64 2,3 X Robin 23Marsh tit -62 X Garden warbler 24Song thrush -59 Chaffinch 24Linnet -54 Wren 25 4Yellowhammer -54 X Blue tit 28Reed bunting -54 Pheasant 29Skylark -52 Long-tailed tit 31 4Bullfinch -52 Redstart 38 1,3Grey wagtail -48 Great tit 40Dunnock -44 Pied wagtail 45 3House sparrow -43 1 Coot 54 3Mistle thrush -42 Crow 73Lapwing -40 3 Mallard 74Willow warbler -37 Jackdaw 80Meadow pipit -35 3 Little grebe 86 3Yellow wagtail -31 2 Woodpigeon 88 1Cuckoo -31 Green woodpecker 90Curlew -30 3 Magpie 102Goldcrest -30 4 Great spotted woodpecker 102Red-legged partridge -27 Blackcap 104Blackbird -26 Stock dove 108Whitethroat -20 5 Reed warbler 114 1,3Little owl -18 3 Nuthatch 115Moorhen -18 Mute swan 160 3Common sandpiper -16 Sparrowhawk 188 3Dipper -16 Shelduck 191 3Treecreeper -16 Buzzard 350 1,3Kestrel -15 Collared dove 638Kingfisher -14


Woodland birds

Although declines in farmlandbirds have attracted most attention,and have served to highlight theadverse effects of recent agriculturechanges in the UK, a number ofspecies in woodland are alsoshowing worrying declines. Threespecies, bullfinch, song thrush andspotted flycatcher, are alreadyincluded in the UK’s BAP (see

page 5). Tree pipit and lesserredpoll prefer younger, more openwoodland and their declines insouth and central Britain may berelated to the maturation ofplantations. The declines ofwoodland specialists such as marshtit, willow tit, woodcock and lesserspotted woodpecker suggest thatcertain woodland habitats may bedeteriorating in quality. The causes

of declines in these birds and otherresidents, such as the dunnock,remain something of a mystery. Atleast in some areas, increasedbrowsing by deer and the loss ofunderstorey vegetation have beenimplicated. Among the migrantwoodland species, like lesserwhitethroats and willow warblers,some of the declines may beattributable to conditions on theirwintering grounds or on migration.

In contrast to these species, otherwoodland birds, such as green andgreat spotted woodpeckers, haveactually increased strongly over thepast 30 years. Resident woodlandspecies such as the wren and long-tailed tit, whose numbers tend tofluctuate according to winterseverity, have undoubtedlybenefited from the recent run ofmild winters. Some migrantwarblers such as blackcaps alsoappear to be doing very well.Although the reasons for this haveyet to be determined, it may berelated to their increasing tendencyto overwinter farther north.

Numbers of lesser spotted woodpecker, marsh tit and willow tit

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Lesser spotted woodpeckerMarsh titWillow tit

Lesser spotted woodpecker declinesmay suggest that woodland habitatscould be deteriorating in quality

▲

George McCarthy (RSPB Images)

House sparrows

Although the table on page 11highlights a 43% decline in housesparrows on CBC plots since 1968,the graph shows that numbersactually increased during the 1970sand started to fall during the 1980sand 1990s. The disappearance ofthe familiar house sparrow frommany of its usual haunts is still amystery – a number of studies tounderstand the problem areunderway. Hypotheses include thelack of suitable nest sites in modernhouses, increased predation fromsparrowhawks, magpies and cats,the loss of winter feeding suppliesof grain, and possibly additives in

unleaded petrol. A recent surveyhas shown that modern, urbanhouses make much poorer nestsites than older, rural houses.

The CBC is not the only survey toreveal house sparrow declines. TheBTO’s Garden Bird Feeding Survey,running since the winter of1970–71, shows that averageweekly peak counts declined, frombetween 15–20 birds in the late1970s to about six birds in the late1990s. The downturn is slightlymore pronounced in urban areas.The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatchshows that garden counts havemore than halved from 10 in 1979to four in 2000. Repeat surveys in

London and Glasgow confirm thispicture of decline. Counts inMaxwell Park, Glasgow, fell fromfive birds per ha in 1959 to lessthan one per ha in 1997. Autumncounts in Kensington Gardens,London, have fallen progressivelyfrom 2,063 in 1925 to 544 in 1975and just 81 in 1995. Recentevidence from the Breeding BirdSurvey (see page 22), however,highlights considerable regionalvariation in the trends from 1994 to1999, such as significant declines inEngland, particularly the southernregions, but stable or increasingpopulations in northern England,Wales and Scotland.

Birds of prey

The numbers of most rarer birds ofprey have recovered over the last30 years. Among those illustrated,the red kite, goshawk, marshharrier and osprey have recoveredmost rapidly, but population gainsof honey buzzard and white-tailed eagle are nonetheless veryencouraging. The spectacular risein red kite numbers is thanks toprotection in Wales and a highlysuccessful reintroductionprogramme in England andScotland (see Recent Surveysoverleaf). The numbers of white-tailed eagles are rising due to a


Numbers of house sparrow

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Roger Wilmshurst (RSPB Images)


reintroduction programmesupported by nest protection. TheMontagu’s harrier populationremains dangerously low and hasbeen so for many years. Althoughnot illustrated, hen harrierpopulations remain flat, numberscontinuing to be limited by humanpersecution associated with grousemanagement for shooting. Thenumbers of young hen harriersraised on grouse moors are verylow, acting as a barrier to recovery.Extinction as a breeding species inEngland is a real possibility.

Among the more common birds ofprey, the hobby and buzzard haveincreased most dramatically inrecent years. The welcome rise inthe numbers of hobbies may partlybe the result of the increasedavailability of habitat for theirfavoured prey, dragonflies.Buzzards and sparrowhawks haveboth spread eastwards in Britain aspart of a recovery from the effectsof the organochlorine pesticides inthe 1950s and 1960s, helped bylower levels of illegal persecution inlowland areas. The CBC showssparrowhawk numbers to havestabilised. Other sources ofinformation, however, point to localpopulation declines in the 1990s.The kestrel is the only commonraptor in long-term decline. Thenumbers of this familiar bird havefallen by a third since the mid

1970s, a clear signal, if one wereneeded, that farmland is becominga poorer place for birds.

New colonists

The number of different speciesbreeding in the UK has increasedsteadily over the last century.There has been a net gain ofaround 10 species over the last 30years. Part of the increase is nodoubt due to more birdwatchers,and part is due to better protectionof potential colonists when theyfirst nest. The little egret first bredin 1996 and shows every sign ofbecoming established; the latestfigures (1998) suggest as many as18 breeding pairs. The spoonbillbecame the latest addition to thelist of breeding species in 1998 andcould also become established.

Recent surveys

Three surveys carried out in 1999provide baseline information on thestatus of some relatively scarce andless well known species in the UK.A survey of spotted crakes inmarshland habitats found 72singing males, more than everbefore. Widespread breeding birdsin the uplands are generally lesswell surveyed than those in thelowlands, so the first ever surveysof two species are particularly

helpful. Fewer than 11,600 pairs oftwites were recorded in a survey ofmarginal, moorland and coastalhabitats. Although comparablehistoric data are not available, thedecreasing range of this poorly-known species is of concern. Ringouzels are also found in marginaland moorland habitats and the firstever survey estimated a populationof between 6,000 and 7,500 pairs. Aswith twites, there is evidence ofrange contraction in many parts ofthe UK in recent years, following onfrom long-term declines of ringouzels in the 19th century.

A full survey of red kites in the UKfound an amazing 429 breedingpairs in 2000. At their lowest pointat the turn of the century therewere as few as a dozen pairs left inWales, but concerted protection,combined with a highly successfulreintroduction programme inEngland and Scotland, has broughtthis enigmatic bird back from thebrink. In Wales, recovery of thenative population has seennumbers rise to 259 breeding pairswhile reintroduction programmeshave seen numbers rise to 131 pairsin England and 39 pairs inScotland. One concern is that thekites’ habit of eating carrion leavesthem vulnerable to secondarypoisoning by rodenticides.Incidents of this kind haveincreased recently and need to bemonitored closely.

Numbers of common raptors

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BuzzardSparrowhawkKestrel

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Clockwise from top: little egret byRichard Brooks (RSPB Images),twite by Tony Hamblin (RSPBImages) and red kite by RichardBrooks (RSPB Images)


An indicator ofwintering waterbirds

The UK is of particular significancefor wintering waterbirds, primarilydue to its relatively mild climateand extensive area of wetlandhabitats, particularly estuaries andinland still-waters. Internationallyimportant numbers of manywaterbird populations that breedin western and eastern Europe,and above the Arctic Circle from

Canada to central Siberia, migrateto overwinter in the UK. The UKGovernment’s Quality of Lifeindicator considers only breedingbirds, but the same methods can beused to produce an indicator fornative wintering waterbirds. Thelines plotted are indices fixedarbitrarily to a value of 100 in 1970.If an index rises to a value of 200,then on average the populationswill have doubled.

The outcome, for both winteringwildfowl and waders, is veryimpressive as their populationshave on average doubled over thelast 30 years. For many species,this increase matchesimprovements in the fortune of thepopulation as a whole throughoutnorth-west Europe. The precisereasons vary among species andremain unknown for some, but theincrease is coincident with a muchbetter recognition of the value ofwetlands for wildlife. Key to this isthe ‘Ramsar’ convention onwetlands of internationalimportance which came into forcein 1971. Many wetlands have sincebeen afforded protection undervarious agreements andconventions, securing internationalnetworks of sites that act asrefuelling stop-overs for migratingwaterbirds and seasonal homes forwintering species.

The last 30 years have also seenbetter understanding andmanagement of wetland habitats,with an intensification in the lastdecade, particularly in the creationof new wetlands. Changes inshooting legislation and practiceshave had an influence on certainspecies of wildfowl and waders.The increase in artificial wetlands,particularly reservoirs and gravelpits, although not created withconservation in mind, has aidedthe spread and increase innumbers of ducks, grebes,cormorant and coot.

Waders

In winter, the UK supports over25% of the East Atlantic flywaypopulation of nine species ofwaders listed in the table and 43%of the population of purplesandpiper. The UK therefore has aparticular obligation to ensure themaintenance of their favourableconservation status. With theexception of the knot, the numbers

An indicator of wintering waterbirds

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Wildfowl and allies (25)

Wader species (12)

Wintering waterbirds

Redshank: a widespread wintering wader on UK estuaries▲



of most waders which overwinterpredominantly on UK estuarieshave either been stable or haveincreased over the last 30 years.Knot numbers have fallen by athird, declining most severely inthe early 1970s due to a run ofunusually cold springs andsummers on their breedinggrounds in Greenland.

Most ringed plovers, sanderlings,purple sandpipers and turnstoneswinter on non-estuarine coasts andhence the tabulated figures reflectonly a small part of their UKpopulations. Full surveys of theirpreferred habitat in 1984–85 and1997–98 have shown that they are

not doing well. Over this periodtheir non-estuarine populationshave all declined: ringed plover by13%, sanderling by 18%, purplesandpiper by 15% and turnstoneby 20%. Climate change may becontributing to these declines. Thedecrease in numbers of all fourspecies has been greatest in thesouth, but also in the west of UKfor ringed plover and turnstone.The northward shift of thesespecies broadly coincides with adecrease in very cold winter daysover the last decade.

The wintering distributions ofseven of the 12 commonest speciesof wader are shifting from south-

west England and south Wales tosouth and south-east England. Thischange may be related to a varietyof factors, the foremost beingclimate change. The tendencytowards milder winters over thelast 20 years may be allowingwaders to make increased use offood-rich estuaries in south-eastBritain where previously they hadbeen vulnerable to the effects ofcold weather. So climate changemay already be affecting birdpopulations and will raise difficultquestions for site and speciesconservation in coming decades.

Population trends of wintering waterbirds

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Trend figures are derived from the counts of the Wetland Birds Survey and the National Goose Counts.

Long-term trends are the percentage changes between the winters 1969–70 and 1998/99.

Short-term trends are the percentage changes between the winters 1988/89 and 1998/99.

Monitoring of coot, great crested grebe, little grebe and cormorant started later than for other species and only short term trends are shown.

The international importance of the UK for individual species of wader is the number of waders wintering in the UK (Stone et al. 1997) as aproportion of the East Atlantic Flyway population (Smit & Piersma 1989). The international importance of wildfowl and allies is the numberwintering in the UK (Stone et al. 1997) as a proportion of the north-west European population (Rose & Scott 1997).

European white-fronted goose -48 -34 <25 Red-breasted merganser 147 2 <25Knot -33 -6 >75 Goosander 170 0 <25Mallard -17 -33 <25 Teal 206 36 50–75Turnstone 1 -31 >75 Pink-footed goose 235 31 >75Pochard 6 -8 25–50 Whooper swan 291 15 >75Bar-tailed godwit 7 6 25–50 Dark-bellied brent goose 367 -8 25–50Ringed plover 8 -19 50–75 Canada goose 377 13 –Dunlin 17 27 25–50 Grey plover 470 34 25–50Tufted duck 25 2 <25 Black-tailed godwit 551 119 <25Icelandic greylag goose 27 -18 >75 Svalbard barnacle goose 580 107 >75Sanderling 29 15 <25 Gadwall >1000 83 25–50Redshank 34 -1 >75 Feral greylag goose >1000 120 –Oystercatcher 39 -7 25–50 Ruddy duck >1000 65 –Shelduck 51 -5 <25 Avocet >1000 397 <25Curlew 57 8 25–50Shoveler 77 15 25–50Wigeon 88 29 <25 Coot – 11 <25Mute swan 91 48 <25 Canadian light-bellied brent goose – 13 >75Bewick’s swan 99 2 25–50 Great crested grebe – 32 ?Goldeneye 103 32 <25 Greenland white-fronted goose – 53 50–75Pintail 123 -5 50–75 Cormorant – 78 <25Greenland barnacle goose 130 69 >75 Little grebe – 144 ?

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Wildfowl and allies

Only two species of wildfowl haveshown long-term declines duringthe period. Numbers of Europeanwhite-fronted geese are muchlower than in the 1960s and 1970s,despite a large increase on thecontinent. This may simply relateto a more easterly shift in itswinter distribution, similar,perhaps, to that described abovefor waders. More worrying is thedecline in mallard numbers,particularly in the last 10 years.The underlying reasons for this areunknown. This decline is notevident in the UK breedingpopulation (see table on page 11).

The increase in mute swannumbers is well documented, witha continuing and steady rise sincethe mid 1980s, following the banon the sale and use of those sizesof lead fishing weights implicatedin lead poisoning, and a run ofmild winters.

Increases in nearly all migratorygeese are a measure ofconservation success, particularlysince the UK uniquely supportssuch a high proportion of theirpopulations. Changes in huntinglegislation and the creation ofreserves on the wintering, stagingand breeding grounds have beenkey factors. The increase in thesmall population of Svalbardbarnacle geese, which wintersalmost entirely around the SolwayFirth, can clearly be attributed toconservation action.

Several geese have also benefitedfrom changes in agriculture,although this has resulted in localconflicts in parts of Scotland andelsewhere. The recent introductionof payments to farmers with keywintering populations on theirland (eg Greenland barnacle geeseon Islay) is proving a successfulmeans of managing this issue.High concentrations of these birds

also play an important part in localgreen tourism.

The UK also supports a number ofnon-native waterbirds, mostlyescapes from wildfowl collections.Following the escape of a handfulof North American ruddy ducks inthe early 1960s, a populationquickly became established,reaching more than 4,000 in the UKin the mid 1990s. Dispersing birdshave since been recordedincreasingly in southern Europeand North Africa where they posea severe risk to the globallythreatened white-headed duckthrough hybridisation. Controlmeasures are currently beinginvestigated in several Europeancountries. The issue hashighlighted the need to considerthe conservation threat posed bynon-native species at aninternational level.

Whooper swans have increased markedly at traditional wintering areas

▲



The state of the UK’s birds ismixed. Progress towards achievingthe BAP targets, one of themeasures of the UK Government’ssuccess in fulfilling its biodiversityand sustainability obligations, is farfrom satisfactory. The targets forthree-quarters of the BAP speciesare unlikely to be met. The majorconservation successes involve rareor scarce breeding species. Withoutexception, widespread BAP speciesare at population levels well belowthose in the 1970s and their BAPtargets will not be achieved. Incontrast, most birds of prey andmost wintering waterbirds areincreasing in the UK.

The BAP has provided animportant stimulus for theconservation of declining commonspecies, but there is a need to findmore effective and wide-reachingways of delivering speciesrecovery. Securing changes inagricultural and broader land-usepolicy, particularly to switchincentives from production intoenvironmentally friendly farming,is the only approach that is likely toimprove habitats for birds andother wildlife on a sufficiently largescale and in a sustainable manner.The UK Government has yet todemonstrate that it can address theconservation of biodiversity in thecountryside outside nature reserveseffectively.

A recurrent theme in this report isthe influence of climate on birds.Cold winter weather stronglyinfluences year to year variation inthe numbers of both common andrare breeding birds and maydictate the distribution ofwintering waterbirds. It is alsoknown that many species of birdsin the UK are nesting earlier thanthey did 20 years ago. Climatechange will pose a very significantchallenge to the conservation ofbirds and their habitats. Theconsequences of, for example,

milder, wetter winters, warmersummers and sea level rise on birdpopulations are difficult to predict.Concomitant changes in land useand agriculture could be eitherbeneficial or harmful to wildlife.Urgent efforts should be made toplan for the consequences ofclimate change.

The following messages emerge:

• The decline of once commonfarmland birds continues, withskylarks, tree sparrows, greypartridges and corn buntingsall declining by more than halfin the last three decades.Starling, yellowhammer andlapwing are strong candidatesfor red-listing and BAP status.

• Declines of several woodlandspecies give cause for concern.Marsh tit, willow tit and lesserspotted woodpecker are all nowcandidates for red-listing andBAP status.

• Stone-curlew, bittern and cirlbunting numbers are at theirhighest for at least 10 years, as adirect result of targetedconservation action; corncrakenumbers are also recoveringstrongly. These species havebenefited from nest protectionschemes (stone-curlew), theacquisition and management ofnature reserves (bittern) andtargeted agri-environmentmeasures (corncrake and cirlbunting). All remainvulnerable.

• Numbers of most birds of preyare at their highest levels for 30years. This reflects recoveryfrom pesticide poisoning in the1950s and 1960s, along with nestprotection (eg osprey andwhite-tailed eagle) andsuccessful reintroductionprogrammes (eg red kite andwhite-tailed eagle). Whilereduced human persecution insome areas has aided species

such as buzzards, hen harriernumbers are still limited bypersecution associated withgrouse management. Like manyother farmland birds thekestrel, our commonest bird ofprey, is in long-term decline.

• The two species of grouseamong the BAP species giveparticular cause for concern.Black grouse and capercailliehave both declined markedly.Their populations halvedduring the 1990s as aconsequence of habitatdeterioration, poor summerweather in Scotland, collisionswith deer fences, and perhapsincreased predation. Whileblack grouse show some smallsigns of recovery in response totargeted action, the same is nottrue for capercaillie. The largestgrouse in the world again facesthe real threat of extinction inthe UK.

• Wryneck and red-backedshrike are effectively extinct inthe UK as breeding species.There is little prospect of re-establishing them as regularbreeders.

• The internationally importantpopulations of non-breedingUK waterbirds have on averagealmost doubled over the last 30years. Declines have beenrecorded, however, for theEuropean white-fronted goose,knot, mallard and four speciesof predominantly non-estuarinewader, ringed plover,sanderling, purple sandpiperand turnstone.

• There has been a dramaticincrease in the numbers ofruddy ducks. The spread ofruddy ducks from the UK intoContinental Europe, NorthAfrica and the Middle East is athreat to the globally threatenedwhite-headed duck.

Conclusions

Clockwise from top left: reed bunting by Mike Lane (RSPB Images), bittern by Andrew Hay (RSPB Images)and roseate tern by C H Gomersall (RSPB Images)


The following publications provide more information about bird population monitoring work and the BiodiversityAction Plan in the UK.

Anon (1998) UK Biodiversity Group Tranche 2 Action Plans. English Nature.

Anon (1999) UK Biodiversity Group Tranche 3 Action Plans. English Nature.

Anon (1999) A better quality of life – A strategy for sustainable development for the United Kingdom. Department of theEnvironment, Transport and the Regions.

Anon (1999) Quality of life counts – Indicators for a strategy for sustainable development for the United Kingdom: a baselineassessment. Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Baillie, S R, Crick, H Q P, Balmer, D E, Bashford, R I, Beaven, L P, Freeman, S N, Marchant, J H, Noble, D G, Raven,M J, Wernham, C V and Thewlis, R (2001) Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2000. BTOResearch Report No 252, BTO, Thetford. See http://www.bto.org/birdtrends

Gibbons, D W, Avery, M I, Baillie, S R, Gregory, R D, Kirby, J, Porter, R F, Tucker, G M, and Williams, G (1996) Birdspecies of conservation concern in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. RSPB ConservationReview 10: 7–18.

Gibbons, D W, Reid, J B and Chapman, R A (1993) The New Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland: 1988–1991.T and A D Poyser, London.

Madsen, J, Cracknell, G and Fox A D (eds) (1999) Goose populations of the Western Palearctic. A review of status anddistribution. Wetlands International Publ. 48, Wetlands International, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Noble, D G, Bashford R I and Baillie, S R (2000) The Breeding Bird Survey 1999. BTO Research Report 247. BritishTrust for Ornithology.

Ogilvie, M A (2000) Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 1998. British Birds 93: 358–393.

Pollitt, M S, Cranswick, P A, Musgrove, A J, Hall, C, Hearn, R D, Robinson, J A and Holloway, S J (2000) TheWetland Bird Survey 1998–99: Wildfowl and Wader counts. BTO/WWT/RSPB/JNCC, Slimbridge.

Rose, P M and Scott, D A (1997) Waterfowl population estimates – Second Edition. Wetlands International Publ. 44,Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Smit, C J and Piersma, T (1989) Numbers, midwinter distribution and migration of wader populations using theEast Atlantic flyway. In: Boyd, H & Pirot, J-Y (Eds) Flyways and reserve networks for waterbirds. IWRB Spe. Publ. 9,Slimbridge: 24–64.

Stone, B H, Sears, J, Cranswick, P A, Gregory, R D, Gibbons, D W, Rehfisch, M M, Aebischer, N J and Reid J B (1997)Population estimates of birds in Britain and in the United Kingdom. British Birds 90: 1–22.

Tucker, G M and Heath, M F (1994) Birds in Europe: Their Conservation Status. BirdLife International, Cambridge.

Further reading

Citation

For bibliographic purposes this report should be referred to as Gregory, R D, Noble, D G, Cranswick, P A,Campbell, L H, Rehfisch, M M, and Baillie, S R (2001). The state of the UK’s birds 2000. RSPB, BTO and WWT, Sandy.

Current and planned surveysThe information summarised in this report is drawn from the annual and periodic monitoring programmes brieflydescribed below and from the work of individual ornithologists. Anyone interested or wishing to participate inthese surveys should contact the relevant organisations at the addresses shown on the back cover.

The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the monitoring scheme for common and widespread breeding land birdsthroughout the UK and aims to provide data on populations trends to inform and direct conservation action. It is apartnership between the BTO, JNCC (on behalf of EN, SNH, CCW and EHS) and the RSPB. The BBS will replacethe long-running CBC (Contact BTO).

The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) is the monitoring scheme for non-breeding waterbirds in the UK which aims toprovide the principal data for the conservation of their populations and wetland habitats. It is a partnershipbetween BTO, WWT, RSPB and JNCC (on behalf of EN, SNH, CCW and EHS). Goose data are collected under anadditional WWT/JNCC partnership (Contact WWT).

A programme of UK-wide surveys of other priority breeding species has been established under the StatutoryConservation Agencies and RSPB Breeding Bird Scheme (SCARABBS) agreement. Peregrines will be surveyed in2001 (contact BTO) and in 2002 surveys are proposed for golden eagle, whimbrel, nightjar, bearded tit and chough(Contact RSPB).

Additional surveys to be carried out in 2001 include Breeding Waders 2001 – a survey of wet lowland grasslandsites in England and Wales; the WeBS Dispersed Waterbird Species Survey; the Waterways Bird Survey – a longrunning riverine territory mapping survey; and the Waterways Breeding Bird Survey (WBBS) – a more recenttransect survey of riverine birds (Contact BTO).

Special thanks to volunteer birdwatchers

Our detailed knowledge of the state of UK bird populations results from the tremendous efforts of manythousands of volunteer birdwatchers, working in collaboration through the BTO, WWT, RSPB, Bird Clubs andother bird-related networks. The RSPB, BTO and WWT congratulate them on the key contribution they have madeto bird conservation. If you are one of these volunteers, thank you very much for all your hard work! If you arethinking of ways to help the cause of bird conservation, more volunteers are always needed. Please contact theappropriate organisation on the back page if you would like to participate in any of these surveys.


Many wintering waders, such as these redshanks, benefited from better protection of feeding and roosting areas▲

R Glover (RSPB Images)

Acknowledgements

Monitoring of birds in the UK involves a partnership of Government agencies, non-governmental organisations,sponsors and independent ornithologists, including:

Anglian Water; Birds Eye Wall’s; British Birds; BBC Radio 4’s Today programme; British Trust for Ornithology;British Sugar; British Waterways; Broads Authority; CJ Wildbird Foods; Centre for Ecology and Hydrology;Countryside Council for Wales; Environment and Heritage Service (Northern Ireland); Department of theEnvironment, Transport and the Regions; English Nature; Environment Agency; Environment Wales; EuropeanUnion Life Programme; Essex and Suffolk Water; Forestry Commission; Forest Enterprise; Game ConservancyTrust; Hawk and Owl Trust; Hyder; Joint Nature Conservation Committee; Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries andFood; Ministry of Defence; National Trust; National Trust for Scotland; Norfolk Wildlife Trust; NorthumbrianWater; Raptor Study Groups; Rare Breeding Birds Panel; The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; ScottishOrnithologists’ Club; Seabird Group; Severn Trent Water; Shetland Oil Terminal Environmental Advisory Group;Scottish Crofters Union; Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department; Scottish Natural Heritage; Suffolk WildlifeTrust; Thames Water; Welsh Kite Trust; The Wildlife Trusts; The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.

In particular, we thank the landowners and their agents, tenants and employees who have allowed surveyors tovisit their land to count birds.

Finally, we would like to thank all the companies and other organisations that have undertaken to sponsor or takepart in work on priority bird species throughout the UK in support of the Biodiversity Action Plan process.

Lapwing by Andrew Hay (RSPB Images)


The RSPB works for a healthyenvironment rich in birds andwildlife. It relies on the supportand generosity of others tomake a difference. We workwith bird and habitatconservation organisations in aglobal partnership calledBirdLife International.

I N T E R N A T I O N A LBirdLife

Designed and published by the RSPB on behalf of:

The BTO: Headquarters, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PUTel: 01842 750050 Fax: 01842 750030

Scottish Office, 21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5BT Tel/Fax: 0131 558 8009

Visit the BTO website: www.bto.orgRegistered charity number 216652

WWT, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BTTel: 01453 891900 Fax: 01453 891901

Visit the WWT website: www.wwt.org.ukRegistered charity number: 1030884

The RSPB:UK Headquarters, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DLTel: 01767 680551 Fax: 01767 692365

Northern Ireland Headquarters, Belvoir Park Forest, Belfast BT8 7QTTel: 028 9049 1547 Fax: 028 9049 1669

Scotland Headquarters, Dunedin House, 25 Ravelston Terrace, Edinburgh EH4 3TPTel: 0131 311 6500 Fax: 0131 311 6569

South Wales Office, Sutherland House, Castlebridge, Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff CF11 9ABTel: 029 2035 3000 Fax: 029 2035 3017

Visit the RSPB website: www.rspb.org.ukRegistered charity number 207076

Cover photos – Stone-curlew and yellowhammer by Mark Hamblin (RSPB Images)

21-847-00-01

The BTO is the charitydedicated to research on wildbirds in the UK. It monitorspopulations through long termschemes such as nest records,ringing, the Common BirdsCensus and the Breeding BirdSurvey, and carries out researchrelated to bird conservation.

The WWT is a charitydedicated to conserve wetlandsand their biodiversityworldwide. WWT’s researchdepartment has organisednational waterbird monitoringschemes for over 50 years.

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