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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 involving the RSPB, Natural England, the National Trust and Paignton Zoo 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 (See the cirl bunting project link), 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 as this threatens cirl buntings in remaining habitats on urban fringes and reduces the potential for their expansion, particularly on 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 to 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 birds spend all their lives within about 1-2 kilometres of their birthplace. Natural re-colonisation is unlikely and 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, the RSPB - 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-intoduce 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 until an appropriate age. Once fully fit, the hand-reared birds were moved to an outdoor aviary. Once 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. A number of colour-ringed birds are still present in 2006.
Where will the birds be moved to?Potential re-introduction areas have been studied by the RSPB 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 will be 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. Will the birds be monitored?A close eye will be 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 will also be closely monitored by vets from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) throughout the hand-rearing process. Their advice and expertise will be used to ensure suitable precautions are taken to minimise the possibility of any potentially damaging disease being introduced by the cirl buntings, following their release, that could affect other birds in Cornwall. Will it be possible to visit the site?The site is not being publicised for the moment in order to minimize disturbance and 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 to the right. 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 will be 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: 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 will 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 will start in May 2006 using the experience gained from these methods. 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 will the project be funded?The Countdown 2010 Biodiversity Action Fund will be a major funder of the project for the first two years. This is a grant scheme, launched by English Nature (now incorporated within Natural England) in 2005, that supports projects that will help achieve the UK Government's commitment to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010. As lead partner, the RSPB will continue to fund the project for the project's life along with other significant contributions from the other vital partner organisations. 2007 UpdateBreeding is confirmed in Cornwall for the first time in around 15 years! At least 50% of the released cirl buntings continued to be seen throughout the early part of 2007 feeding in weedy over-wintered stubble fields and bird seed crops of quinoa, millet and barley planted the previous summer by local farmers. In early June, breeding was confirmed with the first re-introduced breeding pair choosing to nest in a farmer's back garden! Parent birds have been seen feeding chicks at a number of other nest sites since. Contact
Last modified: 29 August 2007 | Back to basicsBird guide |
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)