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Woodlark BAP report

Woodlark in flight
The long-term loss of breeding range has made the woodlark a Red List species

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:

  • Achieve an increase in the number of breeding pairs in the UK, from 1,500 to 2,150 by 2018
  • Maintain the current range (90 occupied 10 km squares) of woodlark in the UK
  • Increase the range of the woodlark from 90 to 125 10 km squares by 2018 (a 39% range increase in 12 years).

What is RSPB doing to help?

In 2006:

  • We continued to restore lowland heathland on our reserves and through an off-site programme in Dorset. 
  • We continued a significant new heathland re-creation project at our Farnham Heath nature reserve in Surrey, with woodlark one of the species that will benefit most.
  • We continued to comment on Forest Enterprise forest design plans, and provided input to the Forestry Commission’s Regional Forestry Frameworks. 
  • We continued to advise farmers on woodlark-friendly management. 
  • We completed a full national survey of woodlark numbers.

Summary of progress

The results of the 2006 national survey show there has been a large population increase since 1997 (the previous survey), from an estimated 1633 territories (95% confidence limits, 1600-1691) in 1997 to an estimated 3084 territories (95% CL, 2483-3476) in 2006. There has also been an encouraging range increase, from 90 to 131 occupied 10-km squares. There has been notable expansion in North Norfolk, Yorkshire and in predominantly farmland areas in Hampshire, and one territory was recorded in Wales. However, there were slight declines in Breckland and the New Forest, and a much greater decline on the Suffolk Sandlings.

In Breckland, the Thetford Forest population has been declining annually between 2000 and 2005, with a slight increase again in 2006, and there are a number of possible reasons for this. Much of the decline in the Suffolk Sandlings can be attributed to the maturing of large areas of plantation that were blown down during the 1987 ‘hurricane’.

The numbers of territories found in Devon was similar to 1997, although estimates suggest that the actual population in 2006 was much higher then in 1997. The distribution of territories in Devon has changed, probably as a result of agricultural land-use change. Numbers on RSPB nature reserves in Dorset remain stable, although the Dorset population has increased since 1997. Woodlarks have spread more on to farmland habitats, especially Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk and Yorkshire.

Has our work been effective?

Our direct contribution to the UK BAP maintenance and enhancement targets, via our reserves, is significant. Our heathland restoration work in Dorset and Surrey 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. We continue to lead efforts to secure favourable agri-environment agreements on farms supporting woodlarks in Devon.

What do we plan to do next?

We will maintain our current level of input to advocacy, site safeguard and advisory work for heathland, forestry and farmland sites supporting breeding woodlarks. 

The restoration of forestry plantations to lowland heathland at our Farnham Heath and The Lodge nature reserves will continue. Our off-site restoration work in Dorset will continue, working mainly on Ministry of Defence land.

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, benefiting woodlarks. 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 woodlark numbers continue to operate to long-term management plans that maintain the value of the site.
  • Agri-environment schemes: if the historical decline in woodlark numbers on farmland in south-west England is to be reversed, further changes to farming practices are needed. Re-instating woodlark-friendly practices, grant-aided through Environmental Stewardship, should increase the area available for nesting and foraging.

Acknowledgements

The RSPB has worked closely with a number of individuals and organisations during the year to further the conservation of woodlarks, in particular through our off-site heathland restoration programme in Dorset (Heritage Lottery funded). We continue to work closely with Forest Enterprise, as the statutory contact point for the woodlark BAP. The 2006 woodlark survey was jointly organised by the RSPB, the Forest commission (England), Natural England and the British Trust for Ornithology. 

Last modified: 06 September 2007