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Nightjar BAP report
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Nightjars are nocturnal birds and can be seen hawking for food at dusk and dawn
What are we trying to achieve?
The Government agreed a Biodiversity Action Plan for this species in 1998. The targets for this plan were revised in 2006 and are as follows:
- Maintain the current range of the nightjar (272 occupied 10 km squares).
- Increase the numbers of nightjar to 4800 churring males by the year 2016 (an 18% population increase in 12 years)
- Increase the range of nightjar to at least 311 ten km squares by the year 2016 (a 13% range increase in 12 years)
- In the long term (next 20 years), restore nightjar to parts of its former range in, for example, south-west England, west Midlands, north-west England, south-west Scotland and Northern Ireland
What is the RSPB doing to help?
In 2006:
- We continued to restore lowland heathland on our reserves and through off-site, programmes in Dorset and East Devon
- We continued to comment on Forest Enterprise forest design plans, and provided input to the Forestry Commission’s Regional Forestry Frameworks
- We continued our advisory work, disseminating information through, for example, ‘A practical guide to the restoration and management of Lowland Heathland’, which describes best practice when managing heaths for nightjars
Summary of progress
The apparent population trend since 1992, based on county and site level monitoring data, is upwards. This was confirmed by the 2004 SCARABBS survey, which estimated a population of 4606 churring males across England, Scotland and Wales – exceeding the original UKBAP target of 4000 males. This represents a 35% increase in numbers since the previous survey in 1992, with the largest increases occurring in Dorset and Hampshire.
Overall, range remained stable. Gains in southern England and the North York Moors were balanced by losses in the north of England and southwest Scotland. Numbers increased in Wales but range declined. Important factors in the population increase are the large-scale restoration of lowland heathland in England and sensitive management of forest plantations.
Has our work been effective?
Our direct contribution, through reserves, to the UK BAP population maintenance target for this widely distributed species is small, but significant. This included a breeding pair on our Farnham Heath reserve in 2006, following tree felling to re-create lowland heathland during winter 2004-05. Our heathland restoration work in Dorset and East Devon is providing additional, suitable breeding and foraging habitat. Our wider contribution comprises advocacy, site safeguard and advisory work, targeting both heathland and forestry nesting birds. The 2004 survey results inform this work.
What do we plan to do next?
We will maintain our current level of input to advocacy, site safeguard and advisory work, for heathland and forestry breeding sites.
The restoration of forestry plantations to lowland heathland at Farnham Heath and The Lodge will continue. Our off-site restoration work in Dorset will continue.
What are the constraints to achieving the targets fully?
- Habitat quality: the Tomorrow’s Heathland Heritage (THH) programme should restore a large proportion of the heathland resource to favourable ecological condition by 2009. Post-THH, a means of funding ongoing heathland management needs to be identified and secured, to ensure the gains made are not lost
- Forestry management: need to ensure that those commercial forests where the management system is a critical determinant of nightjar numbers continue to operate to long-term management plans that maintain the value of the site
- Habitat re-creation: a strategic approach to re-creating lowland heathland is needed if the area of suitable breeding and foraging habitat available to nightjars is to be increased
Acknowledgements
The RSPB has worked closely with a number of individuals and organisations during the year to further the conservation of nightjars, in particular through our off-site heathland restoration programmes in Dorset and East Devon (Heritage Lottery funded). We continue to work closely with Forest Enterprise, as the statutory contact point for the nightjar BAP.
Last modified: 03 September 2007