Dr David Buckingham

Senior Conservation Scientist, Conservation Science

Background

I am a Senior Conservation Scientist specialising in grassland ecology. I mainly work on diagnosing the causes of farmland bird declines and developing practical solutions.

I have been heavily involved in efforts to make agri-environment schemes work on livestock rearing and mixed farms. This work has focused on cirl buntings, yellowhammers, skylarks, linnets, set-aside/fallows and latterly starlings.

I am increasingly working on entomology and botany, to understand how conservation interventions can be improved. This work is expanding into wider invertebrate conservation ecology as RSPB seeks to widen its remit to all taxonomic groups.

Contact

David Buckingham

Dr David Buckingham

Senior Conservation Scientist, Conservation Science

The Lodge, Potton Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL

david.buckingham@rspb.org.uk

Specialisms

Agriculture UK species

Selected Publications

Manipulating grass silage management to boost reproductive output of a ground-nesting farmland bird

Grass fodder crops are attractive nesting habitats for a suite of declining farmland bird species that nest in taller grass swards. Multiple, early silage harvests cause substantial losses of nests and flightless fledglings, making this widespread crop an influential population sink in temperate farmland. We ...

Date
28 April 2015
RSPB Authors
Dr David Buckingham, Dr Will Peach
Authors
Buckingham, D., Giovannini, P. & Peach, W.J.
Published in
Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
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Seeded ryegrass swards allow granivorous birds to winter in agriculturally improved grassland landscapes

We experimentally managed silage fields to provide abundant seed as a conservation measure for wintering birds. Buntings Emberiza strongly selected seeded ryegrass plots, where they fed predominantly...

Date
12 June 2011
RSPB Authors
Dr David Buckingham, Dr Will Peach, Stephen Dodd
Authors
Buckingham, D.L., Bentley, S., Dodd, S. & Peach, W.J.
Published in
Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment
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Effects of agricultural management on the use of lowland grassland by foraging birds

A field-scale correlative study was used to identify which factors had the greatest influence on the usage of agricultural grassland by foraging birds in the English West Midlands. The study extended...

Date
01 January 2006
RSPB Authors
Dr David Buckingham, Dr Will Peach
Authors
Buckingham, D.L., Peach, W.J. & Fox, D.S.
Published in
Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment
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Effects of reduced grazing intensity on pasture vegetation and invertebrates

The lack of invertebrate prey on intensively grazed agricultural grassland can limit reproductive success in farmland birds. The impacts of lenient early season grazing followed by early cessation of ...

Date
01 March 2012
RSPB Authors
Dr Will Peach, Dr David Buckingham
Authors
Eschen, R., Brook, A.J., Maczey, N., Bradbury, A., Mayo,A., Watss, P., Buckingham, D., Wheeler, K. & Peach, W.J.
Published in
Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment
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Utility of lenient grazing of agricultural grassland to promote in-field structural heterogeneity, invertebrates and bird foraging.

This study aims to develop and test reduced intensity grazing options for agricultural grassland that aim to deliver substantial benefits for biodiversity (particularly invertebrates for foraging farmland birds) that are simple, practical and low cost for farmers to implement. This evidence will inform grassland management options within agri-environment schemes in order to ensure they contribute to scheme objectives and biodiversity targets. Evidence to inform the enhancement of swards to support farmland bird species is a key focus of this project.

Date
01 January 2013
RSPB Authors
Dr David Buckingham
Authors
, Peach, Brook, A., Eschen, R., Maczey, N., Bradbury, A., Mayo, A. & Wheeler, K.
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