Media release
Embargo: Not for publication or broadcast until 00:01 Tuesday 10th November 2015
The State of the UK’s Birds report is published by a partnership of eight organisations: RSPB; British Trust for
Ornithology; Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust; Natural Resources Wales; Natural England; Northern Ireland
Environment Agency; Scottish Natural Heritage; and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.
UK bird populations benefitting from
innovative partnerships
New report reveals conservation organisations partnered with
farmers, supermarkets and even the brewing industry has positive
impacts on bird populations
The State of the UK’s Birds 2015 report (SUKB) [published today Tuesday 10th November
2015] showcases a range of inspiring examples of organizations joining forces, from within
and outside the conservation sector, aiming to improve the status of birds both within the UK
and across the UK’s Overseas Territories.
National statutory bodies and conservation NGOs have engaged with private landowners,
farmers, supermarkets, the aggregates industry and even the brewing industry in
partnerships to deliver exciting projects across the UK.
The annual SUKB report takes a deeper look at the fortunes of farmland birds in particular
which overall have declined by 54% since 1970. Despite the continued long-term decline
seen across farmland birds, collaborative partnerships and agri-environment schemes [note
1] have been shown to have positive impacts on a number of farmland bird species.
The report reviews a range of projects; from targeted species recovery programmes
benefiting cirl buntings and stone curlews, through to agri-environment schemes for which
positive effects have been found on some, but not all, widespread declining farmland
species. More targeted schemes have been shown to increase or at least maintain local
densities of grey partridge, tree sparrow and yellowhammer at the farm-scale.
Wetland birds are another group to have benefitted from partnership projects, particularly at
a landscape scale; redshank and lapwing are responding to habitat restoration and
management in Greater Thames [note 2], bittern in Somerset [note 3] and curlew in Northern
Ireland [note 4]. Meanwhile in upland areas black grouse populations have increased on
sites in North Wales [note 5], Geltsdale [note 6] and Scotland [note 7] as a result of habitat
management and partnerships between game managers and conservationists.
David Noble, Principal Ecologist at BTO, said: “The development of agri-environment
schemes has been informed by considerable research into the requirements of farmland
birds and field-based tests of management options. However, bird responses can vary due
to differences in implementation, as well as other factors; so continued monitoring is critical
to assess their design and modify as needed.”
Rob Cooke, Natural England Director of Terrestrial Biodiversity, said: “A joined-up
approach to protecting our environment is vital, which is why, for example, we work closely
with local communities, landowners, and businesses as part of our Protected Sites Network
so we can restore and maintain England’s 12 Nature Improvement Areas and ensure people
enjoy the wonderful wildlife they have to offer.
“We also partner with individual farmers and government to protect some of our most
vulnerable habitats and species – in particular, our environmental and countryside
stewardship schemes have a huge role to play in protecting declining farmland birds like the
lapwing, tree sparrow and yellowhammer.”
The volunteering community plays a huge part in all of the partnership projects described in
the SUKB’s report and a recent JNCC report is quoted as having conservatively valued
volunteer contributions of time to be worth in excess of £8.6 million per annum. Bird
monitoring in the UK is largely led by NGOs, in collaboration with the government, but relies
on the efforts of thousands of volunteers in collecting data from surveys and studies of which
the latest results make up the content of this report.
Daniel Hayhow, RSPB’s Conservation Scientist, said: “Without the dedication of the
surveyors and volunteers involved in all of these projects we would not have the evidence
base to assess the effectiveness of these exciting conservation partnerships. There is still
much work to be done, but these positive stories show what can be achieved when
organizations come together and we hope they will inspire more projects in the future.”
Colette Hall, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) Monitoring Officer, said: “It’s inspiring to
see so many people give so much of their time to conservation projects. The contribution
made by volunteers to waterbird monitoring schemes over the last seven decades or more is
tremendous. Their continued support has provided conservation organisations, like WWT,
with much of the evidence we need to direct conservation action, and to establish projects
that can reduce the overall decline we’re seeing in wintering waterbirds across the UK.”
David Stroud, JNCC Senior Ornithologist, said: “This report is an important reminder of
the huge contribution that volunteers make to all aspects of bird conservation in the UK, and
increasingly also in many of our Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. We need
to continue to support and direct these efforts, and ensure that the data and information
generated is used to address our most pressing conservation problems.”
The State of the UK’s Birds report also covers the UK’s Overseas Territories. New Important
Bird Areas have been identified on Ascension Island and St Helena through a project
between local government and conservation NGOs. Recognition of the importance of these
sites will benefit populations of the endemic Ascension frigatebird and the Critically
Endangered St Helena Plover. There is also news of a new collaboration to address serious
declines in northern rockhopper penguins on Tristan de Cunha islands, home to more than
80% of the global population of this species.
Ends
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Katie Prewett, Assistant Media Officer: 01767 693214 / Katie.Prewett@rspb.org.uk
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Editor’s notes:
Note 1 AES description
Agri-environment schemes (AES) provide payments to farmers to encourage wildlife-friendly farming.
Note 2 Greater Thames Nature Improvement Area partners: Natural England, RSPB, Thames Estuary
Partnership, Essex County Council, Greater London Authority, DEFRA, Environment Agency, Kent
Wildlife Trust, Greening the Gateway Kent and Medway. (greaterthamesmarshes.com,
bit.ly/1h2J5ZU)
Note 3 Avalon Marshes partners: Natural England, RSPB, Somerset Wildlife Trust, Hawk and Owl
Trust, Environment Agency, Historic England.(avalonmarshes.org)
Note 4 Halting Environmental Loss Project (HELP) partners: BirdWatch Ireland, Dept of the
Environment NI, Dept of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in ROI, EU Regional
Development Fund, RSPB Scotland. (rspb.org.uk/haltingenviroloss)
Note 5 Ruabon Moor partners: Natural Resources Wales, RSPB Cymru, Wynnstay Home Farm.
Note 6 Famous Grouse, Smoky Black partners: The Famous Grouse, RSPB
(rspb.org.uk/famousgrouse)
Note 7 Langholm Moor partners:Buccleuch Estates, Scottish Natural Heritage, Game & Wildlife
Conservation Trust, RSPB, Natural England (langholmproject.com)