Priority Species Spotlight: Corn Bunting

Find out how we’re raising the alarm for the ‘Fat Bird of the Barley’.

Corn Bunting singing on wheat in a field.
Conservation Status Red(Birds of Conservation Concern)
Population StatusRecovering(in areas of direct intervention)
Main Threats Habitat loss, early harvesting, reduced food availability

Get to know Corn Buntings

Corn Buntings are dumpy, ground-dwelling birds that you’d be forgiven for confusing with a sparrow. In the UK, we have five regularly occurring species of bunting including the brightly coloured Yellowhammer, and there are many more around the world. However, our very own Corn Bunting is the largest of them all. 

Short and stout, these quirky little birds have streaked, buff-brown plumage above and lighter feathers below. On their chest, darker streaks often merge to form a spot. Corn Buntings also have a short, chunky beak, which is perfect for breaking up their preferred diet of cereal and grass seeds. 

The sight and sound of Corn Buntings perched atop wires and posts, singing their metallic-sounding trill, used to be common across the UK’s arable or mixed farmland. Sadly, that’s no longer the case. 

A Corn Bunting perched on top of a wooden post holding insects in their beak.

Why are Corn Buntings in trouble?

After historical losses, Corn Bunting numbers crashed between the mid-1970s and 80s, leading to local extinctions across much of the UK and Ireland. This decline continued until 2000, when numbers became relatively stable. The species’ decline is largely due to changes in farming practices and the loss of their preferred habitat.  

For example, Corn Buntings have a late nesting season, so early harvests can destroy nests and heavily impact breeding success. In addition, the lack of cover provided by uniform, monoculture crops, and loss of over-winter stubble has increased predation and reduced the amount of food available during the colder months. 

Between 2013 and 2023, the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) recorded a 38% increase in Corn Bunting numbers, driven by strong increases where direct intervention has been implemented. However, the species is now extinct in Northern Ireland and restricted to small pockets of habitat in England, Scotland and, very rarely, Wales. 

As a result, these chunky trillers remain on the UK’s Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern and are an RSPB Priority Species. 

Corn Bunting, adult perched on stem singing

How is the RSPB helping Corn Buntings?

Corn Buntings rely on open, arable farmland to feed and breed, so it’s critical that we work to restore this vital habitat. Research by the Farmland Bird Lifeline project indicates that the species can recover quickly where nature-friendly farming and land use practices are available to 75% of the local population. 

Therefore, the RSPB and partners promote nature-friendly farming practices and policies on a UK-wide scale. This has yielded some successes.  

For example, in Fife, targeted agri-environment options, alongside RSPB advice and free seed, have enabled farmers to create a network of habitats targeting Corn Buntings. This led to an increase in the number of singing male Corn Buntings from 106 to 426, between 2014 and 2024. 

To find out more about our work towards species recovery, visit our ‘Protecting Species Under Threat’ web page. 

Is there anything I can do to help Corn Buntings?

  • Manage land for Corn Buntings 
    If you manage land, there’s plenty that you can do to help Corn Buntings. By using nature-friendly farming and land use practices, you could help lead the way to a food and nature-rich future where these little-big buntings thrive. Visit ‘Corn Bunting conservation – advice for farmers’ to find out more. 
  • Learn more about nature-friendly farming 
    Explore nature-friendly farming further on our ‘Grow our Future’ page. 
  • Record sightings  
    Have you seen a Corn Bunting? Add your sighting to BirdTrack – every record adds valuable data that can help us target conservation work.   
  • Become a member of the RSPB 
    Finally, for those of us who don’t manage land, supporting the RSPB is a fantastic way to help the Corn Bunting, as the backing of our supporters is critical to its longevity and success. By becoming an RSPB member or making a one-off donation, you could empower us to conserve, restore and expand Corn Bunting populations.   
Bringing farmers and the RSPB together to boost nature

Taking species on a journey to recovery

Helping species to reach a healthy conservation status is a journey. Each journey is tailored to the species in question, but shares four stages:

1. DiagnosisIdentifying there's a problem, and researching to find out what's causing it
2. Testing solutionsDeveloping practical solutions and trialling them to make sure they work 
3. RecoveryProviding these solutions across the whole range of the species
4. Long-term legacyReaching improved conservation status and securing a long-term legacy for the species’ recovery 

Recovery

We carefully monitor the progress of a species’ recovery using the ‘Species Recovery Curve’. Currently, the Corn Bunting is in the ‘Recovery’ stage of the curve. This is because we know what needs to be done to help them and work is happening to deliver the solutions.   

However, this doesn’t necessarily reflect an increase in their overall population. Rather, it suggests that where conservation work has been targeted, there are signs of recovery. Therefore, at the RSPB, we’ll continue to do all we can to support the recovery of this wonderful farmland bird. 

Fascinating facts

 

  • Corn Buntings are playfully referred to as the ‘Fat Bird of the Barley’ due to their dumpy appearance and fondness for cereal grains. 

  • Comically, Corn Buntings dangle their legs during flight. 

  • Corn Buntings are home birds – in fact, due to their sedentary nature, males as little as 30km away from each other sing with different dialects.  

An adult Corn Bunting perched in tree, RSPB Hope Farm
Corn Bunting
Jingle-Jangle

The Corn Bunting’s 
song is often compared to the jangle of keys due to its metallic sound.

Thank you!

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the brilliant farmers who work with us to manage their land positively for Corn Buntings. Your commitment to a food and nature-rich future is as inspiring as it is vital. 

We’d also like to thank our fantastic RSPB members and supporters. Without your backing, our work to help conserve and restore fantastic species like the Corn Bunting simply wouldn't be possible.  

Together, we fly.