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Cuckoo joins the GROWING list of the UK’s most threatened birds28 May 2009 Delyth Willis
Head of Public Affairs, Wales
E-mail: delyth.willis@rspb.org.uk The latest assessment of the status of all of the UK’s 246 regularly occurring birds – Birds of Conservation Concern 3 – shows 52 are now of the highest conservation concern and have been placed on the assessment’s red list.
Alarmingly, red listed species now account for more than one-in-five (21 per cent) of all the UK’s bird species. This is a far higher proportion than compared to the last assessment in 2002, when 40 species (16 per cent) were red listed. Most species on the red list have suffered a recent halving of range or population in the UK, or have undergone a historical decline since 1800.
Amongst the species new to the red list is a suite of birds visiting the UK in summer, notably the cuckoo, wood warbler, and tree pipit. These birds, are widespread, but rapidly-declining, summer visitors to the UK. In Wales, the UK Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) population trends showed, between 1994-2007 cuckoo declined by 52%, and tree pipit by 35%.
Their addition to the red list is highlighting the concern that many long-distance migratory birds nesting in Europe and wintering in Africa are increasingly in trouble. Currently 21 of the birds on the red list are summer visitors to the UK, with the majority of these spending the winter in sub-Saharan Africa.
The continued decline of widespread farmland and woodland birds is a theme which has developed since the compilation of the last list in 2002. Lapwing, a formerly much-more widespread wading bird, and the hawfinch, a woodland bird largely confined to England, have both joined the red list in the latest assessment.
Three species of seabird join the red list for the first time. The Balearic shearwater - a smaller relative of the albatross - visits the UK from its Mediterranean breeding grounds regularly each autumn. This seabird, which is thought to face a higher risk of global extinction even than the giant panda - is the rarest bird to regularly occur in the UK.
For the first time two largely winter-visiting birds have joined the red list. The dunlin, a starling-sized wading bird, and the scaup - a duck – have been placed on the red list because of declines in wintering populations. The ongoing decline of the dunlin population has seen this wader slump to its lowest levels since recording began.
While a link to climate change has not been demonstrated, the addition of five species on the southern edge of their nesting range in Britain (Temminck’s stint, ruff, whimbrel, redwing and fieldfare) to the red list may provide some the evidence of range shifts. These species have only had a toehold in the UK in recent decades and now that appears to be slipping. (However, redwing and fieldfare are still plentiful visitors to the UK in winter).
However, the 2009 assessment does contain some good news. Six species (stone-curlew, woodlark, quail, Scottish crossbill, bullfinch and reed bunting) have been removed from the 2002 red list, largely because of a recovery in their numbers or range, or a better understanding of their populations. These species are now placed on the amber list.
Improvements in land management, especially of heathland, have also led to a dramatic increase in the UK population of the woodlark, a heathland bird. The bullfinch and the reed bunting have also been placed on the amber list following modest recoveries in their populations.
Dr Tim Stowe, Director of RSPB Cymru, said: "An increasing number of charismatic, widespread and familiar birds are joining the list of those species most in need of help; this is scandalous. When the RSPB was formed 120 years ago, few would have been concerned about the cuckoo, lapwing, or starling. Now these birds are some of our greatest conservation priorities. Most shocking is the more recently-observed and drastic decline of summer-visiting birds, typified by the cuckoo.
"However, away from the doom and gloom, some birds, like the woodlark, are currently doing well. Thanks to a successful partnership between conservationists and landowners, the future for these birds looks more secure, at least for the moment.
"Conservation works, but with a growing to-do list we have to strive even harder to retain the rich variety of wildlife that our islands possess."
Andy Clements, Director of the BTO, said: "Thousands of volunteer surveyors ensure we know what is happening to our birds, and it is their dedication that underpins this report.
"Worrying population declines have caused 18 birds to be red-listed for the first time – species such as lapwing on farms, and hawfinch in woods, and Arctic skua on UK northern islands.
"A gap all of us will notice is the lack of the cuckoo’s familiar song, their decline emblematic of downward trends in many long-distance migrants from Africa. That is why the BTO and our partners are working together, targeting research at understanding why migrant birds are in decline.
"After all, as this report shows, when we know what to do, and there are funds to do it, we can improve the fortunes of birds such as woodlark. Success stories fire-up our volunteers, knowing their work can make a real difference to our birds!"
Rich Hearn, WWT’s Head of Species Monitoring, said: "The inclusion of wintering waterbirds on the red list for the first time due to severe declines in numbers highlights an increasingly widespread phenomenon, that of climate-change driven shifts in distribution. These migrant waterbirds, along with many others on the amber list, are visiting the UK in smaller numbers.
"Whilst they may not currently be declining at a population scale, uncertainties exist over whether such shifts will have detrimental effects in the longer term. Furthermore, our ability to track their status will become more difficult unless there is greater investment elsewhere in developing monitoring schemes like those well-established in the UK.
"Breeding waterbirds are declining too. Our common scoter population has fallen by more than 80 percent, and almost 50 percent in the past 12 years. Despite this, relatively little is known about this unobtrusive duck and ecological research is thus urgently required in order to ascertain the causes of its rapid decline."
Peter Bridgewater, Chair of JNCC, said: "The review has highlighted the significance of UK marine areas for the globally threatened Balearic Shearwater. The importance of British waters for this seabird – where it occurs in significant numbers – was not previously known. The review demonstrates the international significance of the UK, especially its marine environments, for many species, and their conservation in the UK is an important foundation in protecting many birds across their international ranges."
Peter Thompson, of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, said: "Our research on grey partridge shows that where targeted management is carried out then these and other farmland birds respond positively. However, the loss of set-aside has not helped declining farmland birds, and we believe a more radical approach is required that will reward farmers for conservation successes."
Sian Whitehead, Senior Ornithologist for The Countryside Council for Wales, said: "The UK decline in breeding lapwing follows a pattern that has been happening in Wales for a number of years, and it is very worrying to see this decline now spreading. It is also of huge concern to see what is happening to our migratory species. Wales' Atlantic oak woodlands are host to a characteristic assemblage of migratory species and the loss of these wonderful songbirds will leave our woodlands very impoverished."
Birds of Conservation Concern 3 is compiled by a partnership of organisations, including the British Trust for Ornithology, Countryside Council for Wales, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Natural England, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, RSPB, Scottish Natural Heritage, and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.
The full Birds of Conservation Concern 3 report will be published in the June edition of British Birds.
NotesThe changing lists 2002 2009
Red 40 species 52 species
Amber 121 species 126 species
Green 86 species 68 species
Total species considered 247 246 Five species assessed in 2002 ( bluethroat, scarlet rosefinch, icterine warbler, hoopoe and snow goose) were not considered in the 2009 revision, because they failed to meet the qualifying criteria for inclusion.
Four species not assessed in 2002 (Balearic shearwater; shorelark; yellow-legged gull; and hooded crow) were considered in the 2009 revision for the first time.
1) Birds of Conservation Concern 3 has been produced by a partnership of organisations, including: BirdLife International; British Birds; British Trust for Ornithology (BTO); Countryside Council for Wales (CCW); Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT); Hawk and Owl Trust; Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC); The National Trust; Natural England; Northern Ireland Environment Agency; Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP); RSPB; Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH); The Scottish Ornithologists’ Club; the Seabird Group; Welsh Ornithological Society; Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT).
2) Birds of Conservation Concern 3, the list in detail.
RED LIST Species added to the 2009 Red list that were previously on the 2002 Amber list; cuckoo; dunlin; fieldfare; golden oriole; hawfinch; herring gull; lapwing; lesser redpoll; redwing; ruff; scaup; Temminck’s stint; tree pipit; whimbrel; wood warbler; and yellow wagtail.
Species added to the 2009 Red list that were previously on the 2002 Green list: Arctic skua.
Species added to the Red list after their first assessment: Balearic shearwater;
The following species on the 2002 red list have remained on the 2009 red list: aquatic warbler; bittern; black grouse; black-tailed godwit; capercaillie; cirl bunting; common scoter; corn bunting; corncrake; grasshopper warbler; grey partridge; hen harrier; house sparrow; lesser spotted woodpecker; linnet; marsh tit; marsh warbler; nightjar; red-backed shrike; red-necked phalarope; ring ouzel; roseate tern; Savi’s warbler; skylark; song thrush; spotted flycatcher; starling; tree sparrow; turtle dove; twite; white-tailed eagle; willow tit; wryneck; and yellowhammer. AMBER LIST The following species on the 2002 Red list have now been added to the 2009 Amber list: bullfinch; quail; reed bunting; Scottish crossbill; stone-curlew; and woodlark.
The following species on the 2002 Amber list have remained on the 2009 Amber list: Arctic tern; avocet; barn owl; barnacle goose; bar-tailed godwit; bean goose; bearded tit; Bewick’s swan; black guillemot; black redstart; black-necked grebe; black-headed gull; black-throated diver; brent goose; chough; common gull; crane; curlew; Dartford warbler; dotterel; dunnock; eider; European storm-petrel; firecrest; fulmar; gadwall; gannet; garganey; golden eagle; goldeneye; great northern diver; great skua; green sandpiper; green woodpecker; grey plover; grey wagtail; greylag goose; guillemot; honey-buzzard; house martin; kestrel; kingfisher; kittiwake; knot; Leach’s storm-petrel; lesser black-backed gull; little egret; little tern; manx shearwater; marsh harrier; meadow pipit; Mediterranean gull, merlin, mistle thrush, Montagu’s harrier; nightingale; osprey; oystercatcher; parrot crossbill; pink-footed goose; pintail; pochard; puffin; purple sandpiper; razorbill; red grouse; red kite; red-necked grebe; redshank; redstart; red-throated diver; ringed plover; sand martin; sandwich tern; serin; shag; shelduck; short-eared owl; shoveler; Slavonian grebe; snipe; snow bunting; spoonbill; spotted crake; spotted redshank; stock dove; swallow; teal; turnstone; velvet scoter; whooper swan; wigeon; willow warbler; wood sandpiper; and woodcock;
The following species have been added to the 2009 Amber list from the 2002 Green list: black tern; common sandpiper; common tern; crested tit; glaucous gull; golden plover; great black-backed gull; Iceland gull; jack snipe; Lapland bunting; little grebe; little gull; mallard; pied flycatcher; short-toed treecreeper; smew; sooty shearwater; swift; tufted duck; water pipit; wheatear; whinchat; and whitethroat.
The following species have been assessed for the first time and added to the Amber list:
shorelark; yellow-legged gull GREEN LIST The following species on the 2002 Green list have remained on the 2009 Green list: Blackbird; Blackcap; Blue tit; Brambling; Buzzard; Carrion Crow; Cetti's warbler; Chaffinch; Chiffchaff; Coal tit; Collared dove; Common Redpoll; Coot; Crossbill; Curlew sandpiper; Dipper; Garden warbler; Goldfinch; Goosander; Goshawk; Great crested Grebe; Great shearwater; Great spotted woodpecker; Great tit; Greenfinch; Greenshank; Grey heron; Hobby; Hooded Crow (first time assessed); Jackdaw; Jay; Lesser whitethroat; Little auk; Little ringed plover; Little stint; Long-eared owl; Long-tailed skua; Long-tailed tit; Magpie; Moorhen; Nuthatch; Pied wagtail; Pomarine skua; Ptarmigan; Raven; Red-breasted merganser; Reed warbler; Robin; Rock dove/feral pigeon; Rock pipit; Rook; Sanderling; Sedge warbler; Siskin; Sparrowhawk; Tawny owl; Treecreeper; Waxwing; Woodpigeon; and Wren;
The following species on the 2002 Amber list have been added to the 2009 Green list: Cormorant; Goldcrest; Long-tailed duck; Mute swan; Peregrine; Stonechat ; Water rail ; and White-fronted goose.
3) Action for Birds in England is a conservation partnership between Natural England and the RSPB. The partnership targets funding and conservation efforts on priority species and restoring important habitat.
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