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The Cirl Bunting project |
Home > Our work > Farming > Working with farmers > UK farming projects > The Cirl Bunting project > The cirl bunting re-introduction project
The cirl bunting re-introduction project
A partnership project between the RSPB, Natural England, the National Trust and Paignton Zoo, with veterinary support from the Zoological Society of London, to help cirl buntings expand their range outside of Devon as recognised in the Government's Biodiversity Action Plan for the species. The problemCirl buntings are 'stay at home' birds, moving no further than 2 kilometres between breeding and wintering sites. Despite the success of the Cirl Bunting Recovery Project, resulting in an increase from as few as 120 pairs in 1989 to around 700 pairs in 2003, there has been no corresponding increase in the bird's range. The population has become squeezed into very small areas, rather than having expanded. This lack of expansion is due mostly to the very isolated nature of potential alternative breeding sites, because of changes in farming practices and loss of habitat from built development. Changes in farmingHistorically, cirl buntings were present in many parts of southern Britain and as far north as north Wales. The shrinking distribution is attributable largely to changes in farming practices, such as the switch from spring to autumn cropping, the reseeding/fertilising of grassland and hedge removal. Built developmentThe building of new houses and roads is another key concern. This threatens cirl buntings in remaining habitats on urban fringes and reduces the potential for expansion. This occurs particularly in the west and north of the current range, where they are still declining. The cities of Exeter to the east and Plymouth to the west also add to this blocking effect. Why re-introduce cirl buntings?The need to help cirl buntings expand their range is recognised in the Government's Biodiversity Action Plan for the species. The RSPB and Natural England believe that the Action Plan's long-term objective, to see cirl buntings re-established in other parts of southern England, is only likely to be achieved in the near future through re-introduction. This is because cirl buntings are strict residents and most spend all their lives within about 1-2 kilometres of their birthplace. Natural re-colonisation is unlikely. If it were to occur, it would be slow and restricted by large areas of unsuitable habitat. Why do we think the re-introduction will work?In 2004, we, working closely with the other partner organisations, embarked on a trial to test re-introduction techniques. The intention being to confirm that this method could be used to re-introduce cirl buntings back to some of their former range. During the 2004 breeding season, a number of cirl bunting chicks were taken from nests on National Trust land in south Devon. This was carried out under licence from English Nature and adhered to strict conditions and guidelines. The young birds were transported to Paignton Zoo, where they were hand-reared. Once fully fit, the hand-reared birds were moved to an outdoor aviary. When acclimatized, the cirl buntings were released back into the wild near to where they had originally been taken from. Prior to their release, individual colour rings were fitted to each of the bird's legs, allowing them to be carefully monitored by the RSPB once released. We were able to confirm that birds reared and released in this way could survive the winter and join the wild breeding population in the following spring. Some bred successfully, producing young in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and two were still present at the site in 2008.
Where have the birds been moved to?We studied potential re-introduction sites in areas that used to hold cirl buntings until a few decades ago, taking into account the availability of suitable habitat, the climate (cirl buntings can be very vulnerable to prolonged cold weather and snowfall), and sympathetic land ownership. The results of this study showed that a location in Cornwall was the most suitable. It is believed that the cirl bunting’s recent disappearance from this area was due to very small numbers of breeding birds being unable to support a sustainable population. Since this time, the area has benefited from the hard work of local farmers and the work of the National Trust by increasing the amount of suitable habitat available for cirl buntings. An RSPB farmland bird advisor has been employed to liaise with landowners and secure further suitable habitat in the area to allow for the wider natural spread of released birds. How many birds will be released?Our aim is to release a minimum of 60 birds into the Cornish release site every year for four years. We hope to have established a new self-sustaining breeding population of cirl buntings in Cornwall by 2010 to meet one of the key UK Biodiversity Action Plan targets for farmland birds. By the end of summer 2008 over 180 cirl buntings had been released. Are the birds monitored?A close eye has been kept on the birds after their release into the wild so we can track their movements and record a history of sightings for individual birds. The health of the birds has been closely monitored by vets from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) throughout the hand-rearing process and after release. Their advice and expertise ensures suitable precautions are taken to minimise the disease risks of the project and the possibility of any potentially damaging disease being introduced by the released cirl buntings, which could affect other birds in Cornwall. Is it possible to visit the site?The site is not being publicised, in order to minimize disturbance until a population becomes established. However, there are many other sites in Devon that you can visit – click on the ‘How to watch cirl buntings’ link. Has a project like this ever been attempted before?Similar re-introduction projects involving birds of prey (such as red kites and white-tailed eagles) have previously been successful, but this is the first time that any attempt has been made to re-introduce a small farmland bird into the wild anywhere in Europe. It is therefore a very exciting and pioneering project and one that requires many key organisations other than RSPB. Paignton Zoo's invaluable experience in hand-rearing birds, the National Trust's involvement in providing access to key sites, Natural England's expertise in previous re-introduction projects and the local farming community managing the land in an appropriate way are all critical to the project's success. When did the project start?Following the success of the trial re-introduction technique used in 2004, and other successful re-introduction projects, a full-scale re-introduction began in May 2006. If the project is a success, we hope to re-introduce more birds into other parts of the country identified as having the potential to support a population of cirl buntings. How is the project funded?The project has received £250k of funding from Natural England's Countdown 2010 Biodiversity Action Fund. The project has received £173k funding from SITA Trust, through the Landfill Communities Fund. As lead partner, the RSPB will continue to fund the project for the project's life, along with other significant contributions from the other partner organisations. In addition, the BBC Wildlife Fund provided funding during 2008. Project UpdateIn 2007, we confirmed the first breeding in Cornwall for around 15 years. Over winter, the birds were seen feeding in weedy stubble fields and bird seed crops of quinoa, millet and barley planted the previous summer by local farmers. As well as cirl buntings, these areas provided food for large flocks of farmland birds including yellowhammers, reed buntings, chaffinches, linnets and bramblings. The summer of 2008 has been a difficult year for breeding cirl buntings, largely due to the cold and wet weather making foraging for invertebrates very difficult. This led to many nest failures, whilst disappointing, the good news was that some nests were successful and Cornish bred fledglings were produced. Males set up territories from early March, many pairing with the same females as in 2007. This year there have been more pairs making nesting attempts, and they have spread into new areas. The parents have been seen feeding fledged young, whilst some of the birds born in Cornwall last year have bred for the first time this year. More young have been brought down from Devon and released. A total of 68 birds have been released this year, due to the dedication of the aviculturalists. This is ahead of target, and owes a lot to the experience of head aviculturalist, Carl Laven, who has been working on the project since the first year of rearing in 2006. ContactNick Tomalin
Last modified: 30 October 2008 |
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Cirl bunting chicks - Julie Wallace
Insect on dewy ears of barley - Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
Herd of cows, West Sedgemoor RSPB reserve - David Kjaer (rspb-images.com, Ref: D_2006_11413_0029)
Archie Carmichael (L, on tractor) & Gus Keys (R = site manager) in farm yard at Kinnabus. Mull of Oa RSPB reserve. Islay - Andy Hay (rspb-images.com, Ref: D_2005_9857_009)
Bird illustrations by Mike Langman (RSPB)