CONSERVATIONSCIENCEI N T H E R S P B

2006

Conservation science in the RSPB 1

Introduction 2

Funding 4

Partnerships 5

The application of science 8

Case study – conservation management and the partial recovery of the corncrake 9

Case study – finding a cause for and solution to the declines of Asia’s critically endangered vultures 12

Monitoring and indicators 14

A census method for crossbills 15

The Repeat Woodland Birds Survey 16

The 2004 nightjar survey 18

Declines in migrant birds breeding in Europe 20

Mapping moorland habitats for birds using satellite images 22

The 2004 hen harrier survey 24

The ecology of threatened species 26

Advances in the study of Lophopus crystallinus 27

Winter flooding and bearded tits 29

Causes of black grouse decline 31

Yellow wagtails breeding on arable farmland 32

Breeding biology of hedgehogs in the Outer Hebrides 33

Invertebrates in the diets of moorland breeding birds 35

Climate change and ring ouzels 37

Ecological process and issues research 39

GMHT cropping and food for farmland birds 40

Managing the risk of disturbance to breeding stone-curlews 42

Acid grassland re-creation on former arable land at Minsmere 44

Predator control and lapwings on RSPB reserves 46

The impact of mice on breeding seabirds on Gough island 47

Underpinning the RSPB’s response to the spread of H5N1 avian influenza 49

PhD training 50

Publications 52

Publications in scientific journals, proceedings and books 53

Reports, theses and other publications 57

Contents

Arctic tern on nest

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.com

)

The RSPB is the UK charity working to secure a

healthy environment for birds and wildlife, helping to

create a better world for us all. We belong to BirdLife

International, the global partnership of bird

conservation organisations.

The RSPB prides itself on using the best scientificevidence available to guide its conservation policies andpractice. Only by basing our work on such evidence canwe be confident that our actions will be of benefit to birdsand other wildlife.

For further copies of this report, or those for earlier years,please contact the Conservation Science Department, TheRSPB, UK Headquarters, The Lodge, Sandy, BedfordshireSG19 2DL, e-mail science@rspb.org.uk or visitwww.rspb.org.uk/science

Conservation science

in the RSPB

1

Welcome to the fifth report on the

RSPB's scientific work. While the

score or more of projects included

in this report represents just a

snapshot of our overall scientific

programme, we hope they will

demonstrate the depth and

breadth of the RSPB’s scientific

work. A more complete list of our

scientific projects can be found in

last year's report, available at

www.rspb.org.uk/science.

Two of the projects included in this

report outline an emerging issue for

the RSPB, and indeed ornithologists

and conservation biologists more

generally – the decline of long-

distance migrant birds. The first

project, on pages 16–17, did not start

life as a study of migrants, rather it

was a re-survey of birds in more than

350 woods throughout Britain. This

large project (involving the RSPB,

BTO, Defra, EN – under the Action

for Birds in England, AfBiE,

partnership – FC and the Woodland

Trust) was set up amid concerns

about declines of woodland birds.

One of its more striking results,

however, was that all seven long

distance migrants surveyed in these

woods had declined over a period of

20 years or so, some dramatically so.

Woodland populations of, for

example, willow warbler, wood

warbler and tree pipit, all declined by

more than a half.

The second study, on pages 20–21,

adopted a much broader approach,

using data on population trends of all

breeding birds in most European

countries during 1970–2000, collated

by BirdLife for its recent publication

Birds in Europe. Analyses of these

data showed that inter-continental

migrants had declined more than

those that winter in Europe.

Interestingly, although some bird

species that breed in Europe migrate

to Asia, the declines of long-distance

migrants seem to be restricted to

those that winter in Africa.

While it is tempting to assume that

these declines are due to problems

on migration or wintering grounds,

this may not be the case, as

migrants may be struggling on their

breeding grounds for a range of

reasons. With funding from EN,

under AfBiE, we are reviewing the

evidence for these declines in order

to understand their causes better.

While we await this more complete

understanding, climate change is

strongly implicated in the decline of

the ring ouzel, one of UK’s rarer

migrant birds, albeit one that winters

in North Africa rather than crossing

the Sahara. A study, reported on

pages 37–38, involving the RSPB,

SNH, NERC, Scottish Ornithologists’

Club, Cambridge University and

several ouzel enthusiasts, has shown

that declines of ring ouzels in

southern Scotland were greatest in

years that followed warm summers,

and that recent changes in British

summer temperatures have been

large enough to account for this

species’ decline. We have recently

started a new project in Scotland to

understand why warmer

temperatures create problems

for ouzels.

2

Introduction

Willow warbler

Ben H

all (rspb-images.com

Fortunately, not all migrants are

faring badly and one, the nightjar, is

doing well according to the results of

a 2004 survey, reported on pages

18–19, undertaken by the RSPB,

BTO, EN and FC as part of the

Statutory Conservation

Agencies/RSPB Annual Breeding Bird

Scheme (SCARABBS). Since the

early 1980s, nightjar numbers have

more than doubled, to about 4,600

males. Another 2004 SCARABBS

survey, of the hen harrier, again

involving a range of partners and

reported on pages 24–25, has also

shown increases, with its population

in the UK and Isle of Man increasing

by more than 40% since 1998. Most

of this increase occurred in the north

and west of its range, though there

were declines in England and

southern and eastern Scotland.

Somewhat more bleakly, the UK

population of black grouse still

seems to be declining. Long-term

monitoring by the Perthshire Black

Grouse Study Group has revealed a

particularly marked decline in that

county, and a recent analysis,

outlined on page 31, has shown that

this has been largely due to the

maturation of conifer forests in the

area, probably as the ground

vegetation used for nesting and

brood rearing is lost as the

forest matures.

In previous issues of Conservation

Science in the RSPB we have

reported on the dramatic declines of

Gyps vultures in Asia (2001: 25) and

the search for the cause (2005: 34),

eventually identified as toxic

poisoning by the veterinary drug

diclofenac. Here we bring this story

up to date and show how, working

with many partners (listed on page

13), an alternative drug – meloxicam

– has been found that can replace

diclofenac and is also safe for

vultures. In May 2006, the Indian

Government ordered a halt on

production of diclofenac and

promoted meloxicam as a safe

alternative. The rapidity with which

the cause of the vulture declines was

diagnosed, a solution tested and

begun to be implemented, has been

truly remarkable. We cannot remain

complacent, however, as vulture

populations have yet to recover.

Finally, one of the RSPB’s bigger

media stories in 2005 was that on

the impact of introduced house mice

on breeding seabirds on Gough

Island in the South Atlantic. These

mice were introduced onto Gough

during the 19th century, have evolved

to twice their normal size, and have

been shown by the RSPB and the

University of Cape Town to be

effective predators of seabird chicks,

threatening populations of Atlantic

petrels and Tristan albatrosses (pages

48–49). The public imagination was

captured with widely broadcast video

footage showing up to 10 mice at a

time attacking, and ultimately killing,

seabird chicks that were in some

cases 200 times their size. The

feasibility of removing Gough’s mice

is now being investigated.

As an applied conservation

organisation, we need to disseminate

the results of our work to

conservation practitioners as soon as

we are confident of them, while also

maintaining the quality of our

scientific work by publishing it in the

peer-reviewed scientific literature.

Thus, while in most cases the

information contained in this report is

based on publications in peer-

reviewed scientific journals, in others

we have presented important

preliminary results that have not yet

been published formally. A complete

list of all publications for 2005 and

the first half of 2006 is provided

towards the back of the report, and

for previous years is available at

www.rspb.org.uk/science.

We would be delighted to hear of

any ideas that you might have on

how we could improve future

versions of this report.

Dr Mark AveryDirector, Conservation,

the RSPB

Dr David GibbonsHead of Conservation Science,

the RSPB

3

The RSPB has a policy of keeping

only a few months’ running costs

in its financial reserves. We must

raise all our annual expenditure

every year and we depend on a

range of sources for this funding.

Around 80% of the RSPB’s income

comes from the generosity of

individuals (our members and

supporters) and although this income

can be predicted with some

certainty, it is by no means

guaranteed and fluctuates. The RSPB

must continue to pursue a wide

variety of funding sources to

continue its work and grant funding

is a vital source in the mix. Many

organisations (listed below) have

funded specific science projects in

2005–06 through, for example,

research contracts and grants

towards partnership projects. Many

of those listed are also active

partners in the research, or may

have provided additional support for

wider conservation action.

Anglian Water

BP (through Scottish Forestry Alliance)

British Birdfair

British Potato Council

British Trust for Ornithology

Countryside Council for Wales

Community Environmental Renewal

Scheme

Crop Protection Association UK

The Crown Estates (via the Marine

Stewardship Fund)

Darwin Initiative

Department for Environment, Food

and Rural Affairs

Department for International

Development

English Nature

Environment and Heritage Service,

Northern Ireland

EU Life Environment Fund

EU Life Nature Fund

Funding

4

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Forestry Commission (England,

Scotland and Wales)

HGCA

Heritage Lottery Fund

Ministry of Defence

Moors for the Future

Morrisons

The Overseas Territories Environment

Programme (OTEP)

Perth & Kinross Quality of Life Trust

The Rufford Foundation

Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd

Scottish Executive's Biodiversity

Action Grants Scheme

Scottish Executive Environment and

Rural Affairs Department

Scottish Natural Heritage

SITA Trust

Syngenta Crop Protection UK

The Woodland Trust

Contracted out StudentshipsIn-houseResearch grants and contractsRSPB fundraising

Sources of funding for RSPB science 2005/06 RSPB science expenditure 2005/06

(£4,743,404)

By working with a wide range of

partners during 2005–06 (listed

below), the RSPB was able to

maximise the quantity and quality

of conservation science that it

undertook.The value of

partnership is nowhere more

evident than in the contribution

made by thousands of

birdwatchers who take part in bird

monitoring.Their contribution is

invaluable.

Aculeate Conservation Group

ADAS

AEWA Secretariat

Allerton Research and Education Trust

American Bird Conservancy

Andhra Pradesh Forest Department

A P Leventis Ornithological Institute,

Nigeria

Aquatic Warbler Conservation Team

Association for the Conservation of

Biodiversity in Kazakhstan (ACBK)

Audubon

Avian Demography Unit, University of

Cape Town

BASC

Bird Conservation Nepal

Bird Conservation Society of Thailand

(BCST)

BirdLife Africa Secretariat and

Partners

BirdLife Europe Office

BirdLife Indonesia

BirdLife International

BirdLife International Indochina

Programme

BirdLife Middle East Office

BirdLife South Africa

BirdWatch Ireland

Biodiversity and Nature Conservation

Association, Myanmar (BANCA)

Biomathematics and Statistics,

Scotland

Bombay Natural History Society

(BNHS)

Botanical and Zoological Museums of

the University of Copenhagen

British Antarctic Survey

British Birds

British High Commission, New Delhi,

India

British Museum of Natural History

British Ornithologists’ Union

Buglife

Bulgarian Society for the Protection

of Birds

Bumblebee Conservation Trust

Bumblebee Working Group

Butterfly Conservation

CABI Bioscience

Cambridge Conservation Forum

Centre for Agri-Environmental

Research, University of Reading

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Centre for Evidence Based

Conservation, University of

Birmingham

Centre for Life Sciences Modelling,

University of Newcastle

Centre for Research into Ecological

and Environmental Modelling,

Partnerships

University of St Andrews

Centre for Social and Economic

Research on the Global Environment,

UEA

Central Science Laboratory

Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de

Chizé, du Centre National de la

Recherche Scientifique

Chagos Conservation Trust

The Conservation Biology Group

(University of Cambridge)

Conservation International

Conservation Society of Sierra Leone

Crown Estate

Czech Society for Ornithology (CSO)

Department des Eaux et Forêt –

Morocco

Department of Agriculture and Rural

Development (NI)

Department of Biology and

Biochemistry, University of Bath

Department of Biology, University of

York

Department of Environmental and

Biological Sciences, University of

Stirling

Department of Forest and Wildlife,

India

Department of Geography, University

of Reading

Department of Geospatial and Space

Technology, University of Nairobi

Department of National Parks,

Wildlife and Plant Conservation,

Thailand

Departments of Plant & Soil Science

and Zoology, University of Aberdeen

5

Department of Zoology, University of

Cambridge

Department of Zoology, University of

Oxford

Department of Zoology & Animal

Ecology, University of Cork

De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust,

South Africa

Direction Régionale des Eaux et

Forêts du Sud-Ouest, Agadir,

Morocco

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

Doga Dernegi (Turkish Nature

Society, BirdLife affiliate)

Endangered Wildlife Trust (South

Africa)/Vulture Study Group

Environment Agency

European Birds Census Council

European Commission

European Food Standards Agency

(EFSA)

European Topic Centre: Biological

Diversity

exeGesIS Spatial Data Management

Ltd

Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka

(FOGSL)

Footprint Ecology

Forestry Division, Sierra Leone

Forest Research, Northern Research

Station

The Game Conservancy Trust

Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit,

Joint Research Centre

The Government of Tristan da Cunha

G Spoor Associates

Harper Adams University College

Geographical Research Institute,

Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Indian Veterinary Research Institute

International Advisory Group for

Northern Bald Ibis

Institute of Biomedical & Life

Sciences, University of Glasgow

Institute of Water and Environment,

Cranfield

Institute of Zoology, London

Istituto Nazionale per la Fauna

Selvatica, Bologna

IUCN

JNCC

Francis Kirkham, Ecological

Consultant

Konrad Lorenz Institute

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife

Trust

Linking Environment & Farming

(LEAF)

The Macaulay Institute

Makerere University Institute of the

Environment and Natural Resources

Malloch Society

The Manx Atlas Project

Marine Turtle Research Group, School

of Biological Sciences, University of

Exeter

Ministry of Agriculture, Syrian Arab

Republic

Ministry of Environment, Syrian Arab

Republic

Montana State University

Montserrat Ministry of Agriculture,

Lands, Housing & Environment

Montserrat National Trust

National Bird of Prey Trust

National Environmental Research

Institute, Denmark

National Institute of Agricultural

Botany (NIAB)

National Institute of Water &

Atmospheric Research, New Zealand

National Museums of Kenya

National Soil Resources Institute,

Cranfield University

National Trust for Scotland

Natural Environment Research

Council

Natural Research Ltd UK

Natural Resources Department,

Government of Tristan da Cunha

NatureKenya

NatureUganda

Neotropical Bird Club

NERC

Nigerian Conservation Foundation

Norwegian Institute for Nature

Research (NINA)

Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

Ordnance Survey

Oriental Bird Club

Parc National de Souss-Massa

Penny Anderson Associates

Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African

Ornithology

The Peregrine Fund

6

Perthshire Black Grouse Study Group

Plantlife

Polish Society for the Protection of

Birds (OTOP)

Ponds Conservation Trust

Portuguese Society for the Study of

Birds (SPEA)

QPQ Software

Queen's University, Belfast

Rare Breeding Birds Panel

Rare and Endangered Species Trust –

Namibia

Rothamsted Research

Royal Botanic Garden – Edinburgh

Royal Botanic Garden – Kew

Royal Holloway College

Royal Navy Birdwatching Society

(RNBWS)

Royal Veterinary College

Russian Bird Conservation Union

SCAN Ringing Group

School of Animal and Microbial

Sciences, University of Reading

School of Biological Sciences,

University of East Anglia

School of Biology, University of

Newcastle

School of Biology, University of

Nottingham

School of Biology & Biochemistry,

Queen's University Belfast

School of Biological and Biomedical

Sciences, University of Durham

School of Biological Sciences &

School of Geosciences, University of

Edinburgh

The Scottish Chough Study Group

The Scottish Crofting Foundation

Scottish Crops Research Institute

Scottish Environmental Protection

Agency

Scottish Agricultural College

Scottish Forestry Association

Scottish Raptor Study Groups

The Seabird Group

Shetland Oil Terminal Environmental

Advisory Group

Slender-billed Curlew Working Group

SOVON

Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO)

State Government of Haryana, India

State Government of West Bengal,

India

Statistics Netherlands

Mr Jonathan Tipples

Ukrainian Society for the Protection

of Birds

UK Overseas Territories Conservation

Forum

The University of Chiang Mai

The University of Coimbra, Portugal

The University of Helsinki

The University of Leuven

The University of Pretoria

The University of Wolverhampton

Universities Federation for Animal

Welfare

UNEP World Conservation

Monitoring Centre

Vaderstad

VURV (Czech Crop Production

Research Institute)

Dr Adam Watson

Mr Nicholas Watts

Wales Raptor Study Group

The Wildlife Biological Resource

Centre, South Africa

Wildlife Conservation Society

Cambodia

Wildlife Institute of India

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

Wildwings Bird Management

Wiltshire Ornithological Society

WOCAT (World Overview of

Conservation Agriculture and

technologies)

Woodland Trust Scotland

WWF – US

Yorkshire Dales National Park

Authority

Zoological Museum, University of

Copenhagen

Zoological Society of London

7

The application of science

8

Research on corncrake ecology in

Scotland and Ireland, especially

comparison of population trends in

areas with different agricultural

practices, and radio-tracking studies

of habitat selection and breeding

biology, have enabled us to design

management schemes to improve

breeding productivity and the

survival of adults. In spring,

vegetation in hay and silage

meadows is not tall enough to

conceal birds so, until the grass

grows sufficiently tall, they are

restricted to patches of marshland

and tall herbage. High proportions

of nests and broods from second

and subsequent breeding attempts

are found in fields that will be

mowed. The mowing season

9

The corncrake was a widespread

breeding bird in the UK in the late

19th century, but then suffered a

marked decline through most of

the 20th century. By the early

1990s, corncrakes were largely

confined to northern and western

Scotland and, even there,

populations were declining.

Corncrakes are trans-Saharan

migrants, which forage, nest and

rear their young in tall grass and

herbs, nowadays particularly hay

and silage meadows.The rapid

population declines began soon

after the introduction of

mechanised mowing of hay and

appear to have been triggered by

the destruction of nests and chicks

when meadows are mown.

Conservation management and the

partial recovery of the corncrake

(June–August) overlaps substantially

with the breeding season and many

nests are at risk of being destroyed.

A high proportion of chicks is also

killed when isolated in areas of still

uncut grass surrounded by mowed

areas, which they are reluctant to

cross to escape to cover at the edge

of the field.

From these studies, we

developed three specific

conservation measures:

• To increase, by fencing and the

establishment of suitable plant

species, the area of cover at

times when vegetation in grass

fields is too short for corncrakes

(in spring and after mowing).

David K

jaer (rspb-images.com

)

Corncrake

10

• To reduce the overlap between

the corncrake breeding and

mowing seasons by delaying the

date of mowing.

• To reduce the mortality of chicks

caused by mowing, by changing

the pattern of mowing to allow

chicks to escape from mowed

areas whilst remaining in cover –

corncrake-friendly mowing

techniques (CFM).

A recovery programme for corncrakes

in Scotland began in 1992. It includes

prescriptions to reduce losses of nests

and chicks by delaying mowing until

after the end of July and using CFM

techniques. Early and late cover

habitats are also being provided.

Changes to land management have

been achieved in several ways. These

include the acquisition and

management of nature reserves,

payments to farmers and crofters for

specified management under

voluntary agreements with the RSPB,

Scottish Natural Heritage or National

Trust for Scotland, and participation by

farmers and crofters in agri-

environment schemes in which

payments for management are made

by the Scottish Executive Environment

and Rural Affairs Department.

During 1993–2003, an average of 70%

of corncrakes in the core area of the

range (the Hebridean islands and

Orkney) occurred in 1-km National Grid

squares in which schemes to reduce

losses of nests and chicks were in

operation. About half of the tall grass

present in areas with corncrakes was

included in schemes intended to

modify mowing to reduce losses of

nests and chicks. Coverage by

schemes that create or maintain early

and late vegetation cover was less

good, with about 36% of corncrakes

Numbers of singing male corncrakes in Britain, 1978–2005.

Results are from full surveys in 1978, 1988, 1993, 1998 and 2003,

with estimates based on surveys in the core of its range for other

years.

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006

Nu

mb

er

of

ma

les i

n B

rita

in

Year

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.com

)

11

occurring in squares with such

schemes. Since the implementation

of these measures, the population

has more than doubled to currently

more than 1,000 singing males. A

simple population model, based

upon recent estimates of the annual

survival rates of adults, allows us to

estimate the effect on corncrake

population trend of the schemes that

seek to reduce losses of eggs and

chicks to mowing. Allowing for the

effect of the timing and method of

mowing on breeding productivity,

the level of implementation of

conservation measures achieved

would be expected to increase the

annual number of chicks reared to

independence per adult female

corncrake by at least 11%. This

compares well with the estimated

13% increase in annual breeding

productivity that would be required

to account for the observed change

in population trend, from a decline

of about 3% per year from 1988 to

1993 to an increase of about 5%

per year from 1993 to 2004.

Given that provision of early and

late cover, which was ignored in

this analysis, should also have had

positive effects, it appears that

these conservation measures have

been implemented on a sufficient

scale to account for the marked

change in fortunes of the

corncrake. Although research was

essential in identifying the correct

prescriptions to use, the actual

success achieved so far for the

corncrake has depended on the

willingness of all those involved to

implement management on

the ground.

Contact:

rhys.green@rspb.org.uk

Contributions to corncrake recovery work and

research led by the RSPB in Scotland have

been made by Scottish Natural Heritage,

Scottish Executive Environment and Rural

Affairs Department, National Trust for Scotland,

Scottish Agricultural College and the Scottish

Crofting Foundation. The RSPB is grateful for

the active participation of farmers and crofters

in corncrake conservation schemes.

Green RE (2004) A new method for estimating

the adult survival rate of the Corncrake Crex

crex and comparison with estimates from ring-

recovery and ring-recapture data.

Ibis 146: 501–508.

Green RE, Tyler GA, Stowe TJ and Newton AV

(1997) A simulation model of the effect of

mowing of agricultural grassland on the

breeding success of the Corncrake (Crex crex)

Journal of Zoology, London, 243: 81–115.

O’Brien M, Green RE and Wilson J (in press)

Partial recovery of the population of

Corncrakes Crex crex in Britain 1993–2004.

Bird Study.

See also: 2005: 15

The percentage of singing male corncrakes in the core range that

were recorded in 1-km squares with land managed in a scheme as

early/late cover (green), or by modifying the timing and/or

method of mowing or grazing of grass (red).

Chris G

omersall (rspb-im

ages.com)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Pe

rcen

tag

e o

f m

ale

s

Year

In 1999, scientists from India’s

Bombay Natural History Society

(BNHS) reported that there had

been dramatic declines in the

number of vultures at breeding

colonies in several sites in western

India. As a close collaborator with

BNHS, the RSPB was invited to

support repeat surveys to

establish if these declines were

widespread.

Teams from the BNHS retraced the

route of road-transect surveys

undertaken in the early 1990s, driving

more than 6,000 km across India in

search of vultures. The results

confirmed that India’s Gyps vultures

had undergone a catastrophic

decline: one species – the long-billed

vulture – had decreased by 92% and

another – the Oriental white-backed –

by 96% in just 10 years. Further

surveys in 2002 and 2003 confirmed

that these declines were continuing

and also applied to the other Indian

resident Gyps vulture species, the

slender-billed vulture. Surveys of

vultures in Pakistan and Nepal

revealed similar rapid declines. In the

1980s, the the Oriental white-backed

vulture was considered to be

probably the most abundant large

bird of prey in the world; the

combined populations of the three

Gyps species may have exceeded

40 million. All three species are

now listed by IUCN as

Critically Endangered.

With confirmation of the population

crash, urgent research was begun to

establish the cause of the declines.

In late 2003, Lindsay Oaks, working

in Pakistan with the US-based

Peregrine Fund and the Ornithological

Society of Pakistan, discovered that

the veterinary drug diclofenac was

toxic to vultures. Diclofenac is a

painkiller and anti-inflammatory drug

commonly used to treat sick and

injured domestic livestock across

south Asia. It was introduced to the

region at about the same time that

the decline in vultures began.

Vultures die from kidney failure when

they consume carcasses of livestock

that contain toxic residues after

being treated with diclofenac a few

days before death.

Research by the RSPB and its

partners confirmed the toxicity of

diclofenac to Gyps vultures and its

role in declines across India and

Nepal, and demonstrated that only a

very small proportion (<1%) of

livestock carcasses would need to

Finding a cause for and solution to the

declines of Asia’s endangered vultures

contain lethal diclofenac residues to

have caused the observed declines.

Sampling across India found

diclofenac in more than 10% of cattle

carcasses, confirming that diclofenac

was the main cause of the declines.

An international workshop on vulture

conservation agreed that a rapid

diclofenac ban was essential to save

Asia’s vultures, and that this needed

to be backed up by establishing

conservation breeding centres to

guarantee the species’ survival. Two

vulture centres have now been set

up in northern and western India,

with plans for more in India, Pakistan

and Nepal. These currently house 127

vultures and two pairs attempted to

breed for the first time in 2005,

several years ahead of schedule.

To facilitate a diclofenac ban, the

RSPB led an urgent search to find an

12

Results of a questionnaire survey of zoos and veterinarians on the

effects of pain-killers and anti-inflammatory drugs on six species

of Gyps vulture.

0

10

20

30

40

Meloxicam Diclofenac Carprofen Dexametasona Flunixin Ketoprofen

Died with gout or kidney failureDid not die with gout or kidney failure

Min

imu

m n

um

be

r o

f b

ird

s t

rea

ted

alternative drug that could be used to

treat livestock and that is safe to

vultures. Questionnaires were sent

to zoos and veterinarians requesting

details on the safety of painkillers

and anti-inflammatory drugs used to

treat birds of prey. The survey

highlighted other drugs with similar

toxic effects to diclofenac, but also

found that the anti-inflammatory

drug, meloxicam, had been used

safely in the treatment of hundreds

of birds, including 39 Gyps vultures.

In collaboration with scientists from

India, South Africa and Namibia,

detailed safety testing was carried

out, initially on the abundant and

closely related African white-backed

vulture, and then on the affected

species in India. This confirmed that

meloxicam, which is an effective

drug for treating livestock, is a safe

alternative to diclofenac for vultures

and other scavenging birds.

The last major obstacle hampering a

diclofenac ban was thus removed. In

May 2006, the Indian government

ordered all drug companies in India

to halt the production and sale of

diclofenac within three months and

to promote the use of meloxicam as

a safe alternative. There is still a long

way to go, but the acceptance by

the Indian government of the role of

diclofenac and safety of meloxicam

is the critical first step to ensure the

survival of Asia’s vultures. Achieving

this rapid and high level of

acceptance from government was a

direct result of the carefully targeted

and co-ordinated research effort

from the multinational group of

conservation scientists involved.

Contact:

richard.cuthbert@rspb.org.uk

Partners in this work included Bombay Natural

History Society, Bird Conservation Nepal, The

Zoological Society of London, Pretoria

University, BirdLife South Africa, The National

Birds of Prey Trust, the Wildlife Institute of

India, The Indian Veterinary Research Institute,

Haryana Forest Department, The De Wildt

Cheetah and Wildlife Trust’s Vulture Unit,

Wildlife Biological Resource Centre (South

Africa), the Rare and Endangered Species Trust

Namibia, Natural Research Ltd UK and the

University of Aberdeen.

13

This study was supported by the Darwin

Initiative for the Survival of Species and the

Rufford Foundation

Prakash V, Pain DJ, Cunningham AA, Donald PF,

Prakash N, Verma A, Gargi R, Sivakumar S and

Rahmani AR (2003) Catastrophic collapse of

Indian white-backed Gyps bengalensis and long-

billed Gyps indicus vulture populations.

Biological Conservation 109: 381–390.

Green RE, Newton I, Shultz S, Cunningham AA,

Gilbert M, Pain DJ and Prakash V (2004)

Diclofenac poisoning as a cause of vulture

population declines across the Indian

subcontinent. Journal of Applied Ecology

41: 793–800.

Shultz S, Baral HS, Charman S, Cunningham AA,

Das D, Ghalsasi GR, Goudar MS, Green RE,

Jones A, Nighot P, Pain DJ and Prakash V (2004)

Diclofenac poisoning is widespread in declining

vulture populations across the Indian

subcontinent. Proceedings of the Royal Society

of London B (Suppl) 271: S458–S460.

Swan GE, Cuthbert R, Quevdeo M, Green RE,

Pain DJ, Bartels P, Cunningham AA, Duncan N,

Meharg AA, Oaks JL, Parry-Jones J, Schulz S,

Taggart M, Verdoorn G and Wolter K (2006)

Toxicity of diclofenac to Gyps vultures. Biology

letters 2: 279–282.

Swan GE, Naidoo V, Cuthbert R, Green RE, Pain

DJ, Swarup D, Prakash V, Taggart M, Bekker L,

Das D, Diekmann J, Diekmann M, Killian E,

Meharg A, Patra RC, Saini M and Wolter K

(2006). Removing the threat of diclofenac to

Critically Endangered Asian vultures. Public

Library of Science Biology 4, 1-8.

Cuthbert R, Green RE, Ranade S, Saravanan S,

Pain DJ, Cunningham AA and Prakash V (2006)

Population trends of Egyptian Vulture Neophron

percnopterus and Red-headed Vulture

Sarcogyps calvus in India. Animal Conservation

9: 349–354.

See also: 2001: 25; 2005: 34

Vulture in the BNHS and Haryana

Forest Department’s breeding

centre at Pinjore, India.

Richard C

uthbert (RS

PB

)

14

The RSPB is involved in a wide variety of monitoring

schemes for birds and, to a lesser extent, other

taxonomic groups.

Increasingly, we are helping develop monitoring schemesoutside the UK, and are using monitoring data to producepolicy-relevant indicators that measure the changing stateof the environment.

Monitoring and indicators

15

between December and April in

highland Scotland between 2002 and

2005. Birds were first located visually

or by sound, and then the lure call was

played for a maximum of five minutes.

The number of birds, their behaviour

prior to the playback, the type of

woodland, date, time of day and

distance from the lure were all

recorded. Calls were also tape-

recorded for later identification.

One hundred and fifty-two tests were

carried out on all crossbills. The only

significant factor determining likelihood

of response was distance from the

lure. Birds farther away were less likely

to respond. Crossbills are lured from

an effective area of 18 ha around

each point at which the lure is played.

Pilot surveys were then carried out at

Abernethy Forest and Glenmore Forest

in Strathspey. Playback was used over

A census method for crossbills

Crossbills are not easy to census

because, unlike many passerines,

they do not often sing at dawn.

Occurring in conifer woods, they

are quiet when feeding and are

generally seen only when flying

overhead giving their characteristic

flight calls. However, they respond

readily to playback of excitement

calls broadcast from loudspeakers.

Not only do they fly towards this

lure, but they often respond by

calling.Tape-recording these

distinctive excitement calls allows

each species (Scottish, parrot and

common) to be identified

subsequently from sonograms.

This playback technique is a potential

census method for these crossbill

species, but it is necessary to

understand and measure the factors

that could influence the response to

the lure. Fieldwork was carried out

The probability of crossbills responding decreases with distance

from the playback lure.The fitted line is from a logistic regression

model of the frequency of responses (1) and non-responses (0) at

different distances. Some data points include multiple records.

a grid of points and estimates for the

density of crossbills were 2.8 and 9.8

birds per km2 respectively. Now that

we have a validated survey technique

for crossbills, we are in a position to

make the first survey of the Scottish

crossbill, Britain’s only endemic bird.

Contact:

ron.summers@rspb.org.uk

The study was carried out in collaboration with

the Centre for Research into Ecological and

Environmental Modelling, University of

St Andrews.

Buckland ST, Summers RW, Borchers DL and

Thomas L (2006) Point transect sampling with

traps or lures. Journal of Applied Ecology 43,

377–384.

Summers RW, Jardine DC, Marquiss M and Rae

R (2002) The distribution and habitats of crossbills

Loxia spp. in Britain, with special reference to the

Scottish Crossbill Loxia scotica. Ibis 144: 393–410.

See also: 2001: 23; 2004: 36

Crossbill

Dusan B

oucny (rspb-images.com

)

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900Distance from lure (m)

Pro

bab

ilit

y o

f re

sp

on

se

Several woodland species have

shown substantial declines over

the last 25 years and three

species (lesser spotted

woodpecker, marsh tit and

willow tit) have been added to

the red list of birds of

conservation concern. However, it

was unclear whether national

monitoring schemes were

providing representative data for

all woodland species.Therefore,

to establish population trends of

the key species within this

habitat, in 2003–2004 in

partnership with the British Trust

for Ornithology (BTO), we re-

surveyed more than 400 woods

distributed throughout Britain

that had been originally surveyed

in the mid 1980s and before.The

methods were an exact match of

those used in the original

surveys, with the RSPB using

point counts and the BTO

territory mapping. In order to test

the potential causes of these

declines, we also gathered data

on woodland habitat and other

environmental measures, such as

climate change, the summer

activity of deer and the

abundance of grey squirrel dreys.

Population changes revealed a

mixed picture, with 11 of the 34

species showing large increases

(>25%), eight large decreases

(>25%), and a further two worrying

indications of overall decline. The

survey confirmed declines in all the

long-distance migrants, such as

willow warbler and spotted

flycatcher, and found that several

scarcer and more localised resident

species, such as the hawfinch,

lesser spotted woodpecker, lesser

redpoll and willow tit, had also

suffered substantial declines. These

findings are broadly in line with

those of national monitoring

schemes but have provided a much

clearer picture of the scale and

geographical pattern of changes.

Repeat Woodland Birds Survey

16

Analyses showed that many of the

declines appeared to be related to

changes in woodland structure.

Although factors driving these

structural changes themselves are

not clear, potential causes include

increase in woodland age, reduction

in active management and increased

grazing and browsing by deer. For

only two species, hawfinch and

David K

jaer (rspb-images.com

)

Hawfinches

17

lesser spotted woodpecker, was

there any link to grey squirrel

abundance, both being more likely to

have declined in woods with higher

numbers of dreys. Further research

will be needed before the relative

importance of these factors, as

well as the potential role of wider-

scale processes such as climate, is

fully understood.

Contact:

arjun.amar@rspb.org.uk

This study was funded by RSPB, BTO, DEFRA,

English Nature (as part of the Action for Birds

in England partnership), Woodland Trust and the

Forestry Commission

Amar A, Hewson CM, Thewlis RM, Smith KW,

Fuller RJ, Lindsell J, Conway G, Butler S and

MacDonald MA (2006) What’s happening to

our woodland birds? Long-term changes in the

populations of woodland birds. RSPB Research

Report No 19, RSPB, Sandy.

See also: 2006: 20

Species with population changes of more than 25% from both the

BTO and RSPB surveys.Two species where RSPB surveys were

more representative are shown*. Significant changes are in bold.

Species BTO survey sites RSPB survey sites

(% change) (% change)

Declining species

Lesser redpoll -88.9 -58.7

Willow tit -77.5 -72.5

Willow warbler -74.2 -68.8

Spotted flycatcher -70.4 -36.3

Tree pipit -69.7 -85.4

Wood warbler -64.0 -55.0

Lesser spotted woodpecker -43.6 -58.9

Garden warbler -25.6 -39.4

Hawfinch* -17.4 -73.5

Redstart* -7.7 -54.4

Increasing species

Blue tit +30.8 +32.5

Great tit +51.2 +31.8

Treecreeper +51.5 +95.1

Wren +56.5 +91.0

Blackcap +57.2 +79.8

Robin +63.5 +71.3

Great spotted woodpecker +69.8 +123.1

Coal tit +74.0 +48.7

Green woodpecker +80.7 +269.3

Goldcrest +138.3 +87.5

Chiffchaff +154.8 +190.7

Mike R

ead (rspb-images.com

Mike Lane (rspb-im

ages.com)

Great spotted woodpecker Willow tit

The nightjar is an evocative bird of

heathland and forests, but its

crepuscular behaviour makes it

difficult to survey. Since the 1950s,

large-scale losses of heathland to

agriculture, built development and

afforestation have led to overall

contractions in range and numbers.

Nightjars are surveyed by counting

males making churring calls at dusk.

The first national survey in 1981 gave

an estimate of 2,100 churring males in

Britain in 241 10-km squares and the

second, in 1992, an estimated 3,400 in

268 10-km squares. Although this is an

encouraging sign of recovery, the atlas

of breeding birds in 1970 had recorded

nightjars in 562 10-km squares.

The 2004 survey aimed to estimate

the size of the current population and

assess whether there had been any

The 2004 nightjar survey

further changes in size and range.

Observers covered more than 3,250

1-km sample squares and counted

4,131 churring males. Allowing for

potentially suitable habitat in

unsurveyed squares, the total

population was estimated at 4,606

(95% confidence limits ± 913) – a

36% increase since 1992.

Nightjars were recorded in 275 10-km

squares, 2.6% up on 1992. There

was, however, evidence of localised

declines and range contractions in

north Wales, northern England and

Scotland. For instance, numbers in

Northumberland declined by 78%

between 1992 and 2004, and the

number of occupied 10-km squares in

Scotland dropped from 18 to seven.

Habitat recorded within a 50-metre

radius of each churring male showed

18

that, in 2004, 57% of nightjars

were associated with forest

plantations (similar to 1992) and

59% with heathland (slightly higher

than in 1992).

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan

objectives for population increase

(4,000 churring males by 2003) and

maintaining range (at least 268

occupied 10-km squares) have

been reached, but the target for a

5% range increase has not. Overall,

the continued increase in the

national population is probably

attributable to habitat protection,

management and restoration of

heathlands, and the continued

availability of clearfell and young

forest plantations.

Contact:

simon.wotton@rspb.org.uk

Mike C

oates (RS

PB

)

Restoration of lowland heathland from mature conifer plantations at

Farnham Heath and elsewhere is likely to continue to benefit nightjars.

19

Changes in the numbers of ‘churring’ males recorded by country

and region between the surveys in 1992 and 2004.

The distribution of nightjars recorded in the 2004 survey.

10-km squares containing 1–5 ‘churring’ males are shown in red,

6–30 in orange and 31 or more in yellow. Squares surveyed where

no nightjar were found are shown blank.

Country/Region 1992 total 2004 total % change

East England 585 649 +11

Midlands 124 159 +28

North England 292 308 +5

South East England 1,000 1,468 +47

South West England 863 1,276 +48

Scotland 41 27 -34

Wales 188 244 +30

UK 3,093 4,131 +34

The survey was part of the Statutory

Conservation Agencies/RSPB Annual Breeding

Bird Scheme (SCARABBS), organised by the

British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the

RSPB, and funded by the RSPB, English

Nature (as part of the Action for Birds in

England partnership), and the Forestry

Commission (England, Scotland and Wales).

Coverage was mainly by volunteers but

supplemented by professional fieldworkers.

Conway G, Wotton S, Henderson I, Langston

R, Drewitt A and Currie F (in press) The status

and distribution of European Nightjars

Caprimulgus europaeus in the UK in 2004.

Bird Study.

Gribble F (1983) Nightjars in Britain and Ireland

in 1981. Bird Study 30: 157–176.

Morris A, Burges D, Fuller RJ, Evans AD and

Smith KW (1994) The status and distribution of

Nightjars Caprimulgus europaeus in Britain in

1992. A report to the British Trust for

Ornithology. Bird Study 41: 181–191.

See also: 2002: 32

Mike R

ichards (rspb-images.com

For some time, there have been

worrying indications from small-

scale studies in several countries

that European breeding

populations of long-distance

migrant birds might be in trouble.

With the publication of Birds in

Europe, a pan-European

assessment of the health of

migrant populations became

possible.This brought together

population trends for all breeding

bird species in almost all European

countries within two periods,

1970–1990 and 1990–2000.The

RSPB and BirdLife International

have been working to assess

whether migration strategy and

wintering habitats are related to

long-term population trends.

Overall population trends within

Europe for the two time periods

were significantly more negative for

inter-continental migrants (119

species), principally those wintering

in sub-Saharan Africa, than for those

species that winter in Europe

20

(approximately 220 species). An

analysis of the population trends of

30 pairs of closely related species,

one an inter-continental migrant and

one a species wintering in Europe

(eg tree pipit and meadow pipit), and

a subset of nine pairs, where each

species in the pair breeds in the

same habitat, indicated that this was

true even when phylogeny and

breeding habitat were accounted for.

Species wintering in farmland, dry

grassland and open savannah in

Africa declined rapidly and

significantly during the two periods,

and these species appear to have

made a large contribution to the

overall pattern of decline.

Intriguingly, migrants wintering in

Asia did not appear to be declining,

which suggests that the problems

may lie on wintering or staging

grounds in Africa. However, the

possibility that these species are

affected by factors operating on their

European breeding grounds cannot

be ruled out. For example, migrants

may be less tolerant of changes, such

as climate change, in their breeding

habitats than are residents. Very little

is known about the wintering and

stopover sites of most species, making

it impossible at present to explain

why migrants as a group should show

this consistent pattern of decline.

Contact:

Fiona.Sanderson@rspb.org.uk

RSPB, BirdLife International, the British Trust for

Ornithology, English Nature and St Andrews

University are working together on further

research in this area.

BirdLife International (2004) Birds in Europe:

Population estimates, trends and conservation

status. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK.

Sanderson FJ, Donald PF, Pain DJ, Burfield IJ

and van Bommel FPJ (2006) Long-term

population declines in Afro-Palearctic migrant birds.

Biological Conservation, 131, 93-105.

Tucker GM and Heath MF (1994) Birds in Europe:

Their conservation status. BirdLife International,

Cambridge, UK.

See also: 2001: 30; 2004: 16

Declines in migrant birds

breeding in Europe

Trends were compared for pairs of closely related species where one was a resident (eg meadow pipit, left)

and the other a migrant (eg tree pipit, right).

Mike M

cKavett (rspb-im

ages.com)

Richard B

rooks (rspb-images.com

)

21

The European roller (top) and

lesser kestrel (bottom), long

distant migrants to Africa, have

declined rapidly and are listed

respectively globally near-

threatened and threatened in

the IUCN Red List.

Population trends in two periods (with standard errors) of pairs of

closely related European breeding species – one a migrant and

one a non-migrant. Overall trends are shown for 30 pairs and for

a subset of nine pairs, where each species in the pair breeds in

the same habitat. In each case differences between non-migrants

and migrants were significant.

All non-migrant and migrant species pairs

Pairs in which each species breeds in the same habitat

Alam

y

-1.8

-1

-0.2

0.6

Po

pu

lati

on

tre

nd

-1.2

-0.7

-0.2

0.3

Po

pu

lati

on

tre

nd

1970-1990

1990-2000

-1.2

-0.7

-0.2

0.3

Po

pu

lati

on

tre

nd

-1.8

-1

-0.2

0.6

Po

pu

lati

on

tre

nd

MigrantNon-migrant

1970-1990

1990-2000

Chris K

nights (rspb-images.com

)

22

Uplands and blanket bogs in the

UK are of national and

international conservation

significance, but some key bird

populations there have recently

declined. Understanding the

reasons for this depends on good

information on both birds and

their habitats, but the extent of

these areas means this may be

difficult to obtain using

conventional methods.

The RSPB and the Scottish

Agricultural College explored the

potential of satellite imagery to map

moorland vegetation over extensive

areas. Satellites measure differences

in light reflected by different land

cover. Using a subset of habitat data

collected in a previous study,

differences in reflectance between

different plants were used to

produce predicted vegetation maps

for south-east Scotland,

distinguishing the main plant species

or taxa. These predictions were

tested against the remaining data in

the reference set.

Although the reference data had not

been collected specifically for use

with remote sensing, common

species (eg heather, purple moor

grass) were mapped accurately.

Relatively scarce plants (eg tall

rushes, moss) were not so well

mapped and predictions of variation

in vegetation height were

relatively weak.

Using bird:habitat association

models developed in the earlier

study for red grouse and golden

Mapping moorland habitats for birds

using satellite images

Comparison of the amount of heather in a subset of 26 2-km2

survey plots in south-east Scotland estimated from a supervised

classification of a Landsat7 image (predicted) and derived from

field-collected data (observed).Two data points overlap.

Chris G

omersall (rspb-im

ages.com)

The abundance of golden plovers was

poorly predicted by satellite imagery.

0

20

40

60

80

0 20 40 60 80Observed % heather

Pre

dic

ed

% h

ea

the

r

23

plover, the potential for using these

satellite-derived vegetation maps in

bird studies was explored by using

them to predict bird abundance. The

outputs were again tested against

the rest of the reference set not

already used in developing the maps

and models.

The maps for red grouse were

accurate. Predictions for the golden

plover, for which vegetation structure

is known to be important, were poor,

a consequence of the low ability of

the satellite images to detect

variations in vegetation height.

These results are encouraging,

although further development and

refinement is needed to allow a

wider range of species to be

included. Similar methods are

already being used to study black

grouse and ring ouzel.

Improvements in image resolution

and processing methods mean

that satellite images could become

an even more powerful tool in

the future.

Contact:

graeme.buchanan@rspb.org.uk

Buchanan G, Pearce-Higgins JW, Grant M,

Robertson D and Waterhouse T (2005)

Characterisation of moorland vegetation and

the prediction of bird abundance using remote

sensing. J. Biogeogr. 32. 697–707

Sim IMW, Gregory RD, Hancock MH and

Brown AF (2005) Recent changes in the

abundance of British upland breeding birds.

Bird Study 52: 261–275

See also: 2001: 15 & 32; 2005: 30

A Landsat7 image of south-east Scotland, showing the locations of the full

set of 2-km2 plots used in the moorland birds and habitat research work.

Laurie Cam

pbell (rspb-images.com

)w

ww

.eurimage.com

Satellite prediction of heather and

red grouse abundance were accurate.

The 2004 hen harrier survey

In common with many other

raptors in the 19th century, hen

harriers were driven close to

extinction in the UK by human

persecution, exacerbated by

habitat change in the lowlands.

Although there has been some

population recovery since, they

remain restricted to upland areas.

There is evidence that illegal

persecution limits the numbers

and range of hen harriers in the

UK, most markedly in areas of

moorland managed for shooting

driven red grouse.The hen harrier

is red-listed as a species of high

conservation concern and a

priority species for the UK

Partnership for Action Against

Wildlife Crime. In order to monitor

recent population trends, a

national survey was conducted

in 2004.

The survey produced an estimate of

806 territorial pairs (95% confidence

limits 732–889) in the UK and Isle of

Man in 2004, an increase of 41%

since the previous survey in 1998.

This increase was evident through

the north and west of the UK range,

with estimated numbers more than

doubled in Orkney, the Hebrides and

north Highlands, and lesser

increases in the west Highlands,

Northern Ireland, Wales and the Isle

of Man. However, declines were

detected in the Southern Uplands

and eastern Highlands of Scotland,

and in England. These decreases

were all in areas where grouse

moors are most prevalent and

where the most likely cause is the

continued illegal killing of harriers

24

Philip N

ewm

an (rspb-images.com

)

England

Wales

Northern

Ireland

Isle of Man

Southern

Uplands

East Highlands

West

Highlands

North Highlands

Hebrides

Orkney

0

50

100

150

200

250

Nu

mb

er

of

terr

ito

ria

l p

air

s

19982004

Mature conifer plantations are being

used increasingly by hen harriers.

Populations of hen harriers by region in 1998 and 2004.

% change 1998–2004: Orkney 181, Hebrides 100, North Highlands 240, West Highlands 53, East Highlands -21, Southern Uplands -45,Isle of Man 16, Northern Ireland 66, Wales 54, England -47

because of perceived conflicts with

grouse shooting interests.

Nearly 10% of the Scottish

breeding population was associated

with brash/scrub or mature conifer

plantations. Although well known in

Northern Ireland and the Isle of

Man for over a decade, this nesting

behaviour had not previously been

recorded widely in Scotland. This

may have aided the population

expansion, enabling hen harriers

to exploit new habitats, in particular

in areas where persecution is

less likely.

25

Contact:

mark.eaton@rspb.org.uk

The survey was part of the Statutory

Conservation Agencies/RSPB Annual Breeding

Bird Scheme (SCARABBS) and was funded by

the RSPB, the Countryside Council for Wales,

Environment and Heritage Service (Northern

Ireland) and Scottish Natural Heritage, in

collaboration with English Nature and Manx

Atlas Project. Much of the surveying was

done by volunteers from upland bird and

raptor study groups.

Etheridge B, Summers RW and Green RE

(1997) The effects of illegal killing and

destruction of nests by humans on the

population dynamics of the Hen Harrier

Circus cyaneus in Scotland. Journal of

Applied Ecology 34: 1081–1105.

Sim IMW, Dillon IA, Eaton MA, Etheridge B,

Lindley P, Riley H, Saunders R, Sharpe C and

Ticker M (in press). Status of the hen harrier

Circus cyaneus in the UK and the Isle of Man

in 2004, a comparison with the 1988/89 and

1998 surveys. Bird Study.

Summers RW, Green RE, Etheridge B and

Sim IMW (2003) Changes in Hen Harrier

(Circus cyaneus) numbers in relation to

grouse moor management. In Thompson

DBA, Redpath SM, Fielding AH, Marquiss M

and Galbraith CA (eds.). Birds of Prey in a

Changing Environment. The Stationery

Office, Edinburgh.

Mark H

amblin (rspb-im

ages.com)

Hen harriers have declined in some moorland

areas managed for red grouse.

Research into the ecology of threatened species is a particular strength of the

RSPB, and provides a wealth of valuable information to guide conservation work.

Outside the UK, most of our ecological research is undertaken on globally

threatened bird species in RSPB ‘focal’ countries. In the UK, however, where there

are few globally threatened bird species, research is directed at those species that

have declined most. More recently, we have begun research on threatened species

in other taxonomic groups.

The ecology of

threatened species

26

27

The freshwater bryozoan

Lophopus crystallinus, also known

as a moss-animal, is a small

colonial invertebrate found in both

still and running waters. Adult

colonies are most often found

during the winter on a variety of

submerged substrates including

rocks, logs and plants. It is

currently the only bryozoan listed

as a priority within the UK

Biodiversity Action Plan.This

group of organisms is often

overlooked, so efforts to study and

conserve this species since 2000

have been co-ordinated by Action

for Invertebrates – a partnership

project supported by English

Nature, the RSPB, Butterfly

Conservation and Buglife.

In Britain, most records of L.

crystallinus are from eastern

England. It was once relatively

common in the Norfolk Broads, but

has not been seen there for more

than 30 years. Initial surveys

confirmed the presence of this

species at just two sites – Barton

Blow Wells in Lincolnshire and the

Chil Brook in Oxfordshire.

A PhD studentship to study this

bryozoan was established at Reading

University in 2002, funded jointly by

the university, the Environment

Agency and Action for Invertebrates.

The student, Samantha Hill, has

successfully pioneered the

development of innovative survey

and monitoring techniques.

Upturned traffic-cones were

submerged in Barton Blow Wells, as

artificial substrates on which to

monitor seasonal patterns of colony

size. Whilst some cones were left

intact, others were scraped clean on

each visit to study the settlement of

new colonies. Despite this species’

association with cold water, the

results clearly showed that

settlement occurs between spring

and autumn, with little sign of any

migration at other times of year.

Freshwater bryozoans are able to

reproduce asexually through the

production of statoblasts. These

dormant capsules are resistant to

environmental extremes and, once

released, they are primary

Advances in the study of

Lophopus crystallinus

Burton Mill Pond where new colonies of

Lophopus crystallinus have recently been found

Sam

antha Hill

28

mechanisms for migration. Techniques

for locating these statoblasts in flood

debris have been developed. The

results have been remarkable, with

positive records for many rivers in

southern England, where adult

colonies were not previously known.

Already, a new population has been

located at Burton Mill Pond in Sussex.

Contact:

ian.middlebrook@rspb.org.uk

Hill SLL (2006) The Ecology and Conservation in

Britain of Lophopus crystallinus, a Rare

Freshwater Bryozoan. PhD thesis,

Reading University.

Hill S and Okamura B (2005) A review of the

ecology of Lophopus crystallinus (Plumatellida,

Lophopodiae), a rare species within the U.K.

Denisia. 16:193-201.

See also: 2002: 16; 2004: 20;

2005: 25

Seasonal pattern of colony settlement by Lophopus crystallinus.

The mean number (+/- 2 SE) of colonies found on 10 sets of

artificial substrata (cones) is shown. Cones were scraped clean

after each visit.

A colony of the freshwater bryozoan

or moss animal, Lophopus crystallinus

Sam

antha Hill

Sam

antha Hill

Lophopus crystallinus

colonies germinating

from statoblasts

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

02/02/2004 20/04/2004 26/07/2004 26/10/2004 24/01/2005Date

Me

an

nu

mb

er

of

co

lon

ies p

er

co

ne

0.5 mm

1 mm

29

Severe impacts of cold winter

weather on bird populations are well

documented, but a recent study at

the RSPB’s Leighton Moss nature

reserve has highlighted the

potentially catastrophic effects of

winter flooding on bearded tits.

In the UK, bearded tits occur mainly in

reedbeds along the south and east

coasts of England. The outlying

population at Leighton Moss in

Lancashire has been the subject of a

long-term study by former RSPB

warden, John Wilson. It was John who

developed bearded tit nestboxes,

which have proved so successful here

and at other sites around the UK.

Leighton Moss was colonised by

bearded tits in 1973, and the population

rose to about 40 pairs by 1980. The

provision of nestboxes since 1997

coincided with a sustained increase in

numbers to about 65 pairs in 2000.

Annual nest count (vertical bars), adult (triangles) and first year

(squares) survival rates (lines, + or - SE) for bearded tits at

Leighton Moss. Survival rates are for the year preceding the nest

count. Severe winter flooding occurred in the winter preceding

the very low 2001 nest count and survival rates.

Winter flooding and bearded tits

Richard R

evels (rspb-images.com

)

Bearded tit

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.com

)

Reedbeds at Leighton Moss,

habitat of bearded tits

0

20

40

60

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004Year

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

No

. n

ests

Su

rviv

al ra

te

30

The autumn of 2000 was the

wettest in England and Wales since

records began in 1766 and the

reedbed at Leighton Moss was

flooded for most of November and

December. At this time of year,

bearded tits feed mainly on reed

seeds, which at Leighton Moss they

gather mainly from the reed litter on

the ground. With most of this litter

under water, the bearded tits lost

their main food source and body

weights were low. The flood waters

receded during late December but

were followed immediately by 10

days of cold weather, but not of the

severity known to have caused

previous population declines.

A survey in 2001 revealed just seven

active nests, a decline of 90% on the

year before. Recaptures of ringed

birds indicated that fewer than 5% of

bearded tits survived the 2000–2001

winter, compared to 56% of adults

and 40% of first-years that survived

other winters.

The impact of this flood was severe,

causing the birds to die either through

lack of food or by being in such poor

condition that they were unable to

survive during the subsequent cold

weather. Climate change is

expected to bring wetter autumns

and winters to north-western Europe

and flooding of reedbeds could pose

an increasing threat to bearded

tit populations.

Contact:

will.peach@rspb.org.uk

Wilson J and Peach W (in press) Impact of

exceptional winter flooding on the population

dynamics of bearded tits Panurus biarmicus.

Animal Conservation.

doi: 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2006.00063.x

Installing bearded tit ‘nestboxes’ at Leighton Moss

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.com

)

31

Black grouse in Britain have

declined throughout the 20th

century and preliminary results

from the 2005 national survey

showed a further 22% decline in

lekking (displaying) males over the

last 10 years, with especially severe

declines in southern Scotland.

Many causes have been suggested,notably intensification of grazing andgrassland management, afforestationand predation. Annual lek counts of a700-km2 study area by the PerthshireBlack Grouse Study Group recorded asteep decline from an estimated 800displaying males in 1990 to 270 in2002. In combination with habitat dataderived largely from satellite imagery,these data were used to examinecorrelates of distribution and decline.

Having accounted for the strongeffects of slope and altitude, analysisshowed that lek occurrence, lek size

and change in lek size over time wereeach associated either positively withpre-thicket forest cover, or negativelywith the amount of closed canopyforest. The actual lek sites tended tobe located in areas of grass moor with20–40 % cover of dry heathvegetation within a 1.5 km radius.Leks within 1.5 km of improvedpasture tended to be small. Thus,black grouse were most abundant in alandscape of pre-thicket forests andmoorland made up of heather andgrass mosaics.

Analysis of the change in black grouseabundance within 1.5 km of 19discrete forest blocks suggested thatvariation in forest age alone accountedfor about 60% of the decline. Duringthe study period there has been adoubling of closed-canopy forest coverand consequent loss of pre-thicketforest. This process of forestmaturation appears to have largely

Causes of black grouse decline

Correlation between forest age in 2000 and the log-ratio of change

in black grouse abundance from 1990/1992 to 1999/2002 within

1.5 km of each forest block. A positive value of change indicates

an increase in abundance, negative a decrease. Forest age alone

accounts for 58% of the variation in change.

Chris G

omersall (rspb-im

ages.com)

-2.5

-2

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

0 10 20 30 40Forest block age years

Ch

an

ge i

n a

bu

nd

an

ce

driven the recent decline, probablythrough loss of field-layer vegetationused for nesting and brood-rearing. The close association with coniferplantations (and woodland in general)throughout much of their British range suggests that the conservationof black grouse in the short- tomedium-term may depend on thepotential to enhance the extent andcontinuity of open habitat within acommercially forested landscape.

Contact:

james.pearce-higgins@rspb.org.uk

We are grateful to the Perthshire Black Grouse

Study Group who collected annual lek data and

to Forestry Commission Scotland for access to

relevant forest data.

Pearce-Higgins JW, Grant MC, Robinson MC and

Haysom SL (in press) The role of forest maturation

in causing the decline of Black Grouse. Ibis

See also: 2002: 24; 2006: 22 & 24

Yellow wagtails breeding

on arable farmland

32

The UK’s near-endemic race of the

yellow wagtail (flavissima) has

declined strongly in grassland

regions, and the bulk of the

population now breeds on arable

land in eastern England. It now

qualifies for red-listing as a species

of conservation concern, because

of its large population decline in

the last three decades. As part of a

wider study of yellow wagtails, the

RSPB and its partners funded a

PhD project to understand the

species’ ecology on arable land,

and to identify possible

conservation measures.

The student, James Gilroy, foundthat, in areas dominated by wintercereals, as crop height and densityincreased, nesting activity declinedrapidly by late June. Birds moved intomore open spring-sown potato cropsfor second or replacement clutches,and nesting activity in these crops

remained high until late July. Even forearly nests in cereals, tall densevegetation forced many birds to nestclose to ‘tram-lines’ in the crop,where (as with skylarks) they sufferedhigher predation rates. Nests inanother favoured crop, field beans,suffered very high predation rates. Asbean crops develop, the cropunderstorey becomes very open,meaning that nests that were initiallywell hidden became more visible and vulnerable.

In addition to these crop type effects,there was a strong effect of soil typeon the density of yellow wagtailterritories. Softer and more penetrablesoils, such as peat, were associatedwith higher territory densities. Thereason is unclear, but may relate tothe greater organic matter content ofsuch soils being associated withhigher populations of invertebrateswith a soil-dwelling life-stage.

Future work is planned to determinewhether small unplanted patches, asnow used for skylarks, create anybenefit for wagtails nesting in cereals;the best way to create late-seasonnesting habitat in areas currentlylacking suitable crop types; and whatlinks soil type with territory density.

Contact:

guy.anderson@rspb.org.uk

This research is part of a collaboration between

the RSPB, the University of East Anglia, English

Nature (as part of the Action for Birds in England

partnership), the British Trust for Ornithology,

Anglian Water and Mr Nicholas Watts.

See also: 2001: 18; 2004: 31;

2005: 47

Left: A predated yellow wagtail nest

in field beans. The open understorey

of the mature crop may make nests

more visible and vulnerable.

Seasonal pattern of nest density of yellow wagtails in arable crops.

Approximately weekly data shown separately for six regularly

monitored areas in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire Fens. Areas

with potatoes supported active nests for longer than those without.

James G

ilroy (UE

A)

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Ne

st

de

nsit

y (

Acti

ve

Ne

sts

km

-2)

3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2May June July August

Week

Sites with potato fieldsSites without potato fields

33

Breeding biology of hedgehogs

in the Outer Hebrides

Hedgehogs were introduced to

South Uist in the 1970s, and have

since spread to Benbecula and

southern North Uist. RSPB studies

showed that egg predation by

hedgehogs had caused large

declines in the internationally

important breeding populations of

waders on the islands, notably of

dunlin, redshank and lapwing.

Recovery is likely to depend on

hedgehog removal, and a good

knowledge of hedgehog ecology

and population dynamics on

the Uists is essential in

designing this.

This five-year study took place on four

study sites on South Uist on machair

(sandy coastal grassland, marsh and

low intensity arable land) and

blackland (peaty grasslands inland of

the machair). Transect surveys of

hedgehogs took place at night using a

spot lamp, and some animals were

radio-tagged to follow their

movements over several months.

Densities varied, being higher after a

warmer preceding year, but on

average were about twice as high on

machair (32 per km2) as on blackland

(15 per km2). Machair densities are

higher than recorded elsewhere on

mainland Britain, probably owing to

the lack of hedgehog predators on the

islands. Hedgehogs emerged from

hibernation in the second half of April

and became sexually active within a

few days. Females were promiscuous,

with litters born five to eight weeks

after emergence. Two-thirds of sub-

adult females attempted to breed,

whilst all adults did so. More than

80% of females attempted to breed

twice during the summer and annual

breeding success averaged 4.04

young for adults and 0.85 young

for sub-adults.

DJackson (R

SP

B)

Radio-tagged hedgehog on the South Uist machair

Seasonal pattern of courtship (dark) and mating (light) behaviour

by hedgehogs found during approximately weekly spot-lamp

searches at night on South Uist (n=1,289 encounters).

These results indicate the scale of

the conservation problem. In an

average spring South Uist supported

2,750 adult and sub-adult

hedgehogs, producing approximately

3,000 young spread over more than

300 km2 of suitable habitat. The

study also showed that hedgehog

removal is practical only when

animals are not hibernating (mid

April to October), and is undesirable

during June to late September when

removing females would risk leaving

dependent young in dens.

Contact:

jeremy.wilson@rspb.org.uk

Jackson DB (2001) Experimental removal of

introduced hedgehogs improves wader nest

success in the Western Isles, Scotland. Journal

of Applied Ecology 38: 802–812.

Jackson DB (2006) The breeding biology of

introduced hedgehogs (Erinaceus europeaus)

on a Scottish island: lessons for population

control and bird conservation. Journal of

Zoology 268: 303–314.

Jackson DB (in press) Factors affecting the

abundance of introduced hedgehogs (Erinaceus

europaeus) to the Hebridean island of South

Uist in the absence of natural predators and

the implications for nesting birds. Journal

of Zoology.

Jackson DB, Fuller RJ & Campbell ST (2004)

Long-term population changes among breeding

shorebirds in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, in

relation to an introduced mammalian predator.

Biological Conservation 117: 151–166.

See also: 2001: 34

34

Laurie Cam

pbell (rspb-images.com

)

Machair

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Week (quarter of month)

% o

f fe

ma

les e

nco

un

tere

d e

ach

pe

rio

d

1 2 3 44 1 21/2/3 3/41 2 3 41 2 3 4April May June July August

The occurrence of key invertebrate taxa in the diets of 14 species of moorland breeding birds, adults and

juveniles being considered separately. A taxon was considered as being important (darker shading) if it

constituted –> 5 % of the recorded diet, or if it occurred in –> 5 % of dietary samples analysed.

35

UK moorlands are of economic

and conservation importance,

being managed for agriculture,

forestry and game while also

holding important bird

populations. Major changes such

as conversion to forestry have a

considerable impact, but other less

dramatic changes in land

management, especially if they

affect the availability of food to

birds, could also seriously affect

bird populations, many of which

have already declined.

A knowledge of moorland bird diets

and the factors that affect prey

availability is essential in helping to

understand the effects that

management changes may have on

bird populations through their food

supply, and the extent to which

changes can be linked to population

declines. Such knowledge of bird

diets has been invaluable in helping

to determine conservation action for

lowland farmland birds.

While invertebrates are known to

form a major part of the diet of many

moorland bird species, the relative

contribution of different invertebrate

species or taxa is unknown. The

RSPB and the University of

Newcastle reviewed available

information on the diets of 14

characteristic moorland breeding

birds. Data from across each species’

global breeding range were collated

to determine the role of invertebrates

in the diet. Of the broad range of

invertebrates taken during the

breeding season, relatively few

(spiders, beetles, true flies, true

bugs, bees, wasps and ants,

butterflies and moths and worms)

were taken widely. Beetles and flies

were the most prevalent, especially

Invertebrates in the diets

of moorland breeding birds

GB

uchanan (RS

PB

)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Dermaptera

Amphipoda

Anoplura

Arachnida

Coleoptera - unaged

Coleoptera - adult

Coleoptera - larvae

Collembolla

Crustacea

Diptera unaged

Hemiptera

Diptera adult

Diptera larvae

Ephemeroptera

Gastropoda

Hymen

Diplopoda

Hymen adult

Hymen. larvae

Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera

Neuroptera

Trichoptera

Odonata

Oligocheatea

Orthoptera

Plecoptera

Other

Invertebrate taxa

% o

f b

ird

sp

ecie

s a

ge

ca

teg

ori

es

Tipulid larvae (leatherjackets)

and adults (daddy longlegs)

are important food for wader

chicks and adults.

36

Carabidae, Curculionidae, Elateridae

and Tipulidae. The prevalence of

different invertebrates varied

between bird families. Waders,

especially adults, took more soil-

living invertebrates (eg worms,

Tipulid larvae) than passerines, which

took more foliage invertebrates.

Whilst detailed data are lacking,

available information on the habitat

preferences of these important

invertebrates suggests that moorland

management regimes that create a

mosaic of habitats are likely to be

most beneficial. In particular,

heterogeneity in vegetation structure

and species composition, and the

presence of wet flushes associated

with the synchronised spring

emergence of adults of certain

insect species, are likely to increase

invertebrate food resources for birds.

Contact:

graeme.buchanan@rspb.org.uk

This work was part of a project funded by

Defra, English Nature and the Countryside

Council for Wales.

Buchanan GM, Grant MC, Sanderson RA and

Pearce-Higgins JW (2006) The contribution of

invertebrate taxa to moorland bird diets and

the potential implications of land-use

management. Ibis.

doi:10.1111/j.1474–919x.2006.00578.x

Wilson JD, Morris AJ, Arroyo BE, Clark SC and

Bradbury RB (1999) A review of the

abundance and diversity of invertebrate and

plant food of granivorous birds in northern

Europe in relation to agricultural change. Agr.

Ecosyst. Environ. 75: 13–30.

See also: 2001: 32; 2002: 11

Mike Lane (rspb-im

ages.com)

Dunlin

37

The ring ouzel, with a population

of only 6,000–7,500 breeding pairs,

is rapidly declining in the UK.

Declines have previously been

explained in terms of topography

and habitat, although large-scale

processes, such as climate change,

may also be involved. Ring ouzel

data from four study populations

in Scotland and northern England

were analysed to examine

whether breeding success and

population change could be

related to climate on both the

upland breeding and Moroccan

wintering grounds.

Climate change and ring ouzels

The mean laying date of first

clutches was later in years when

rainfall in March and April on the

breeding grounds was high.

However, overall nesting success

was not affected either by the

timing of laying or by weather in

May and June, when most nests are

active. Instead, most of the variation

in nesting success was explained by

population size, being higher where

population density was low.

Breeding success did not therefore

appear to be much affected

by climate.

Analysis of data from southern

Scotland showed that population

declines were greatest in years that

followed warm summers with

intermediate levels of rain. Declines

were also greater two years after

high spring rainfall in Morocco. Such

rainfall is known to reduce juniper

pollination and hence the abundance,

18 months later, of berries on which

wintering ring ouzels feed. Recent

changes in British summer

temperatures have been strong

enough to account for the observed

population decline, which could be

linked to reduced post-breeding

Ring ouzel

Jan Halady (rspb-im

ages.com)

survival rates of adult and juvenile

birds, possibly through limited

food availability.

Although in the short term it may be

impossible to halt any continuing

trend towards warmer summers in

the breeding grounds, measures to

counter the negative climatic effects

may be possible through appropriate

management of feeding habitats in

both the UK and Morocco. A new

project has been started to

investigate habitat use and ranging

behaviour of adults and

fledglings during the critical late

summer period.

Contact:

james.pearce-higgins@rspb.org.uk

Ring ouzel data were provided by D Arthur,

Grampian Ringing Group, the late W

Brotherston and the late I Appleyard, whilst

climate data were obtained through BADC.

Funding from the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club,

SNH, and a NERC CASE studentship

contributed either to data collection or analysis.

Beale CM, Burfield IJ, Sim IMW, Rebecca GW,

Pearce-Higgins JW and Grant MC (2006)

Climate change may account for the decline in

British ring ouzels Turdus torquatus. Journal of

Animal Ecology 75: 826–835.

Buchanan GM, Pearce-Higgins JW, Wotton SR,

Grant MC and Whitfield DP (2003) Correlates of

the change in Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus

abundance in Scotland from 1988–91 to 1999.

Bird Study 50: 97–105.

Wotton SR, Langston RHW and Gregory RD

(2002) The breeding status of the Ring Ouzel

(Turdus torquatus) in the UK in 1999. Bird Study

49: 26–34.

See also: 2002: 25

38

Correlations between the annual change in a ring ouzel study

population in southern Scotland and average June–August

temperature (A) and precipitation (B) on the breeding grounds

in the previous summer. Average March/April rainfall on the

wintering grounds in Morocco two years previously is also

shown (C). A positive index of change value indicates a year

on year population increase, whilst a negative value indicates

a decline.

Average June-August temp (˚C), UK previous summer

Ris

idu

al ch

an

ge

A

-0.3

-0.1

0.1

13.0 13.5 14.0 14.5 15.0 15.5

Average June-August rain (mm), UK previous summer

Ris

idu

al ch

an

ge

B

0.4

0.2

0.0

-0.2

60 80 100 120

March/April precipitation, Morocco, 24 months previously

Ris

idu

al ch

an

ge

C

0.2

0.1

-0.1

-0.2

0.0

-0.3

20 40 60 80

While studies of individual species will remain an important part of the RSPB’s

research portfolio, increasingly we are studying a broad range of ecological

processes and issues that affect birds.These range from studies of habitat

management to the impact of disturbance, predation and pollution on bird

populations, through the impacts of land uses such as agriculture, to those of a

changing climate. Wherever possible, our research seeks to design novel solutions

to mitigate the effects of any deleterious impacts.

Ecological process

and issues research

39

By 1999, several genetically

modified herbicide-tolerant

(GMHT) crops had reached the

final stages of UK government

approval prior to commercial

cultivation. Each crop had been

modified so that, when treated

with a broad-spectrum herbicide,

most weeds would be killed while

the crop remained unharmed.

There was concern that use of

such herbicides might exacerbate

declines in the weed flora and

those bird species dependent

upon it for seed food. Recognising

these concerns, the UK

Government commissioned the

farm-scale evaluations (FSEs) to

investigate the effects of the

management of GMHT crops on

farmland wildlife.

More than 60 fields of each of four

crops, spring and winter oilseed

rape, beet and maize, were split in

half. One half was sown with a

conventional variety and managed

according to normal practice, the

other with a GMHT variety with

weeds controlled by a broad-

spectrum herbicide. Along with a

wide range of other measures, the

amount of seed shed (‘seed rain’)

from weeds known to be

important in the diets of 17

seed-eating farmland birds

was compared.

In beet and spring rape, ‘seed rain’

of weeds important in the diets of

16 species was reduced in GMHT

half fields compared to

conventional halves; for no species

did it increase. In winter rape,

‘seed rain’ was reduced in GMHT

halves for 10 species; for only one

did it increase. By contrast, in

maize, ‘seed rain’ was greater in

GMHT cropping and

food for farmland birds

40

Ratio of the rain of weed seeds important in each bird species diet in the GMHT compared to the conventional

half for each crop; where this is more than 1, seed rain was greater in the GMHT half, and vice-versa. Each bar

refers to a species; dark bars were statistically significant, the remainder were not.

Woodpigeon

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.com

)

More in Conventional

More in GMHT

0.1

1

10

Beet Maize Spring rape Winter rape

Ra

tio

(lo

g s

ca

le)

GMHT halves for seven species; for

none was it reduced.

These results suggest that should

beet, spring and winter rape crops

be largely replaced by GMHT

varieties and managed as in the

FSEs, important food resources for

farmland birds would be markedly

reduced. By contrast, GMHT maize

could be beneficial.

Following the publication of the

results of the FSEs, approval was

given for the commercial cultivation

of GMHT maize – on condition it

was managed as in the FSEs.

Approval was refused for GMHT

beet, spring and winter rape,

unless management techniques

less harmful to wildlife could be

developed. To date, no GM crop

has been cultivated commercially

in the UK.

Contact:

david.gibbons@rspb.org.uk

The FSEs were undertaken by the Centre for

Ecology and Hydrology, Rothamsted Research

and the Scottish Crops Research Institute and

were funded by Defra and the Scottish

Executive. The RSPB was involved in the

Scientific Steering Committee overseeing

the FSEs, and took the lead in the work

outlined here.

Gibbons DW, Bohan DA, Rothery P, Stuart RC,

Haughton AJ, Scott RJ, Wilson JD, Perry JN,

Clark SJ, Dawson RJG and Firbank L (2006)

Weed seed resources for birds in fields with

contrasting conventional and genetically

modified herbicide-tolerant crops. Proceedings

of the Royal Society, B 273: 1921–1928.

See also: 2001: 28: 2004: 3

41

Chris G

omersall (rspb-im

ages.com)

Corn bunting

The GM Farm Scale Evaluations were the largest agro-ecological

experiment ever undertaken. Winter oilseed rape, seen here, was

one of the four crops tested.

The open downland on Salisbury

Plain and the heaths of Breckland

in East Anglia are the preferred

habitats of the stone-curlew, one

of the UK’s rarest birds.

Breeding pairs of this elusive bird

experience disturbance because of

recreational use of these areas by

walkers. There is a risk that such

disturbance will increase because

much of their habitat is designated

as open access land under the

Countryside and Rights of Way Act.

Many pairs also breed on military

training areas where, because of

reduced access to overseas

training facilities, they too may be

increasingly disturbed by the

activities of soldiers and

their vehicles.

We investigated these potential

problems and how to manage them.

One of the outcomes is a

computerised tool known as the

Stone Curlew Access Response

Evaluator (SCARE), which allows

managers of heathland and

downland sites to assess the

effects on stone-curlews of different

human activities.

Managing the risk of disturbance

to breeding stone-curlews

Many hours of observation of

behavioural responses of breeding

birds showed that different sources

of potential disturbance had markedly

different effects. For example,

walkers with dogs were more likely

to cause the birds to run away or fly

than walkers without. Sites with

frequent disturbance were much

less likely to be occupied by a

breeding pair.

SCARE takes a mathematical model

based on these results and applies it

to a map of the stone-curlew site

where management options are

42

Chris K

nights (rspb-images.com

)

Stone-curlew

SCARE is based on research at the University of

Cambridge funded by the RSPB and English

Nature (as part of the Action for Birds in

England partnership) and was developed in

collaboration with exeGesIS Spatial Data

Management Ltd. The co-operation of the

Ministry of Defence is gratefully acknowledged.

Taylor EC, Green RE and Perrins J (in press)

Stone-curlews Burhinus oedicnemus and

recreational disturbance: developing a

management tool for access. Ibis.

See also: 2002: 32; 2004: 34;

2005: 39

43

Illustration of the application of SCARE to the management of access.The map, with a grid of 50-metre

squares, shows a stone-curlew nesting plot close to a track used by walkers with dogs.The graph shows the

expected reduction, at different rates of disturbance by walkers with and without a screening hedge, in the

chance that this plot will be used by a breeding pair.

being debated. Using details of

topography and the distribution of

screening vegetation, such as

woodland, it defines the area within

which the birds can see walkers or

vehicles. The user then specifies the

routes used and the level of traffic

and SCARE reports the predicted

reduction in the chance of use by

breeding stone-curlews.

It can be used to evaluate the

benefits to stone-curlews of

management options such as

closing public access to selected

heathland and downland areas,

re-routing tracks, creating belts of

screening vegetation and better

siting in quiet locations of special

plots, where the substrate is

managed for nesting birds.

Contact:

rhys.green@rspb.org.uk

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.com

)

0

20

40

60

80

100

0 1 2 3 4 5Number of walkers per hour

Pe

rcen

tag

e r

ed

ucti

on

in

use

screened

not screened

plot

track

screening

Acid grassland re-creation on

former arable land at Minsmere

Lowland dry acid grassland is a

priority habitat in the UK and

Government has set a target of re-

creating 500 ha by 2010. At our

Minsmere reserve we have been

re-creating lowland dry acid

grassland on 156 ha of former

arable fields.

The project has been carried out in

four stages. After a year of baseline

surveys to determine soil conditions

and seedbank composition, there

was a period of seven years of arable

cropping aimed at reducing soil

fertility. This was followed by a series

44

of small-scale field experiments to

identify suitable techniques for

reducing soil pH. The fourth stage

from 1996 onwards involved the

application at a field-scale of three

treatments: the addition of sulphur

and re-seeding with an acid grass

mixture; the addition of sulphur,

bracken litter and heather cuttings;

and natural regeneration.

After nine years, the success of this

habitat re-creation in terms of

vegetation and colonisation by

ground beetles was evaluated in

2005. Vegetation in randomly located

quadrats, and ground beetles using

randomly located pitfall traps, were

sampled in the treatment fields and

adjacent existing acid grassland.

Where the soil was suitably sandy,

natural regeneration resulted in acid

grassland of highest conservation

value, in terms of the species-

richness of annual plants

characteristic of this type of

grassland and the conservation value

of its ground beetle fauna. Where the

soil was less sandy, natural

regeneration was less successful,

but the addition of sulphur with re-

seeding, or added bracken litter and

Malcolm

Ausden (R

SP

B)

Dry acid grassland successfully re-created at Minsmere

45

Occurrence (mean rarity score + SE) of ground beetles in former

arable fields receiving different treatments, and on adjacent

existing acid grassland. A higher score indicates that pitfall traps

in those fields caught a higher proportion of restricted-range

species.The scores for the natural regeneration field on the

sandiest soil were significantly higher than in all other fields.

heather cuttings, greatly increased

the establishment of acid grassland

plant species. The beetle fauna did

not respond to these extra

treatments on less sandy soils.

Successful creation of acid grassland

on arable land is thus dependent on

the choice of the technique that is

most appropriate for the local soil

conditions, in particular sand

content. An additional conservation

benefit has been the attraction to

the re-created acid grassland of

breeding stone-curlews.

Contact:

malcolm.ausden@rspb.org.uk

Ausden M, Allison M and Kemp M 2006.

Creation of heathland and acid grassland on

agriculturally improved land. Pp 119-135 in

Prendergast, HDV (ed) Heathlands – past,

present and future. The Proceedings of the 8th

National Heathland Conference held at the

University of Sussex, Brighton 7–9 September

2004. East Sussex County Council, Lewis, UK:

119–135.

Owen KM, Marrs RH, Snow CSR and Evans CE

(1999) Soil acidification – the use of sulphur

and acidic plant materials to acidify arable soils

for the recreation of heathland and acid

grassland at Minsmere, UK. Biological

Conservation 87: 105–121.

Owen KM and Marrs RH (2000) Creation of

heathland on former arable land at Minsmere,

Suffolk, UK: the effects of acidification on the

establishment of Calluna and ruderal species.

Biological Conservation 93: 9–18.

Owen KM and Marrs RH (2001) The use of

mixtures of sulphur and bracken litter to reduce

pH of former arable soils and control ruderal

species. Restoration Ecology 9: 397–409.

See also: 2004: 38

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

Natural regeneration

(least sandy soil)

Natural regeneration(sandiest soil)

Sulphur, bracken litterand heather

cuttings

Field/treatment

Ra

rity

sco

re

Sulphur plus

re-seeding

Existing acid

grassland

Josef Hlásek

Harpalus smaragdinus is one of the ground beetles

benefiting from grassland re-creation.

During the last few decades,

lapwings have severely declined

across a range of habitats

throughout the UK. However, on

wet grassland reserves appropriate

management of livestock and

water levels has generally been

successful in attracting increased

numbers to breed. Whilst this is

gratifying, concern has been

expressed that, although good

nesting habitat has been provided,

on some reserves lapwings have

been suffering high levels of

breeding failure resulting from

predation of nests and young.

In response, a large-scale long-term

experiment was initiated in 1996 to

examine the need for control of

some predators on reserves

managed for breeding lapwings.

Although waders are vulnerable to a

range of predator species, attention

focused on crows and foxes, since

these were believed to be the most

important predators on RSPB

reserves. On each of 11 sites, we

examined the differences in

predator densities and breeding

success of lapwings in four-year

periods with and without fox and

crow control. All operations were

carried out in strict accordance

with the law and animal

welfare considerations.

Even in years with fox and crow

control, there were very large

variations in the numbers of foxes

and crows across sites, probably

related to regional differences in

densities of these predators and the

extent of predator control on

neighbouring land. Whilst control of

foxes and crows effectively reduced

their densities (by 40% and 56%

respectively overall), the actual

number of predators removed varied

from site to site, depending on their

local density. We found no consistent

improvement in lapwing breeding

performance during years of predator

control. However, poor nest survival

was associated with high fox and

crow numbers and the impact of

predator control was dependent on

the ‘background’ density of foxes and

crows (ie densities in years without

predator control). There were

significant improvements in nest

survival in years of predator control

for those sites where background

densities of foxes and/or crows

were high.

Results from the study indicate that

fox and/or crow control is necessary

on several of our wet grassland

reserves and, following its

implementation, we will monitor the

effect over the next five years.

Contact:

Mark.Bolton@rspb.org.uk

See also: 2001: 33 & 35; 2002: 10;

2004: 30

Predator control and

lapwings on RSPB reserves

46

Andy H

ay (rspb-images.com

)

Ouse Washes

47

The impact of mice on breeding

seabirds on Gough Island

The devastating effect of rats and

cats on seabird populations is

well known, and much effort is

now devoted to eradicating

introduced predators from

islands. Gough Island, a World

Heritage Site, is part of the UK

Overseas Territory of Tristan da

Cunha and has never had rats

and cats. It covers a

mountainous 65 km2 in the

South Atlantic and, supporting

millions of pairs of seabirds from

20 species, is widely considered

the most important seabird

island in the world.

The RSPB, with the University of

Cape Town, began research on

Gough in 2000–2001, funded by the

Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Initially, the aim was to investigate

the effect of longline fishing on

Gough’s albatross species.

Andrea Angel with a

Tristan albatross chick

wounded by mice

20040

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2001 2004 Congenerics2001 2005 Congenerics

Re

pro

du

cti

ve

ou

tpu

t

(ch

ick

s p

er

ne

sti

ng

pa

ir)

Tristan albatross Atlantic petrel

The breeding success of Tristan albatrosses and Atlantic petrels on

Gough Island. Mean overall success rates (+/- SD) from five

published studies of Diomedea species of albatross and six

studies of Pterodroma petrel species on islands relatively

unaffected by invasive alien predators are shown for comparison.

Ross W

anless?Andrea A

ngel

Fabio Olm

os (BirdLife)

Tristan albie

48

However, it soon became clear

that seabirds breeding there were

facing an additional and

unexpected threat.

Survival of chicks of Atlantic petrel

and Tristan albatross (both globally

threatened species and endemic to

the Tristan da Cunha group) was far

lower than expected for a predator-

free island. Suspicion fell on house

mice, which had been accidentally

introduced during the 19th century.

They were known to be super-

abundant on the island and to

have evolved to twice normal size.

Nevertheless, predation by 20–30 g

mice on albatross chicks weighing up

to 5 kg was previously unknown.

Further research with nest cameras

in 2003–2004 confirmed that mice

had indeed become effective

predators of large, healthy seabird

chicks. Up to 10 mice at a time

attacked and ate the live chicks,

which subsequently died from their

injuries. Observed predation rates

were sufficient to drive population

declines in Atlantic petrel, Tristan

albatrosses and possibly other

winter-nesting seabirds.

Investigations continue into how

and why this astonishing behaviour

has evolved on Gough. The absence

of other mammals may be important,

allowing the mice to become

numerous and dominant. The

feasibility of removing Gough’s

mice is being investigated.

Although extremely challenging,

this may be the only means of

preserving the island’s exceptional

seabird populations.

Contact:

Geoff.Hilton@rspb.org.uk

This and continuing work is being carried out by

the RSPB, University of Cape Town, and Tristan

da Cunha Natural Resources Department,

funded by the RSPB and the UK government’s

Overseas Territories Environment Programme.

Cuthbert R (2004) Breeding biology of the

Atlantic Petrel, Pterodroma incerta, and a

population estimate of this and other burrowing

petrels on Gough Island, South Atlantic Ocean.

Emu 104: 221–228.

Cuthbert R, Sommer E, Ryan P, Cooper J and

Hilton G (2004) Demography and conservation

of the Tristan albatross Diomedea [exulans]

dabbenena. Biological Conservation

117: 471–481.

Cuthbert R and Hilton G (2004) Introduced

house mice Mus musculus: a significant

predator of threatened and endemic birds on

Gough Island, South Atlantic Ocean? Biological

Conservation 117: 483–489.

See also: 2001: 26; 2005: 36

Ross W

anless/Andrea A

ngel

Mouse sitting on dead

Atlantic petrel chick in burrow

49

Underpinning the RSPB’s response to

the spread of H5N1 avian influenza

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian

influenza is not new; prior to the

case in Cellardyke, Scotland, in

April 2006 there were outbreaks in

poultry in Scotland in 1959 and

Norfolk in 1991.The virus that is

currently circulating probably

evolved in poultry in China a

decade ago. It is causing concern

because it is capable of passing

directly from birds to humans

without an intermediate host, and

the mortality rate in reported

human cases is high. Speculation

that it could mutate or

recombine with a human influenza

virus to become transmissible

between humans has led to fears

of a pandemic.

The rapidity of the global spread ofH5N1 and the high level of often mis-informed public concern about thedisease, has forced governments toformulate policies in advance of full

scientific understanding. Movementsof poultry have been heavily implicated in much of the currentspread but, because wild birds havebecome infected and have beenshown to carry the virus acrossinternational boundaries, muchattention has focussed on them. AnRSPB team has been tackling theissue and seeking to ensure thatofficial policy, action andpronouncements are based on sound science.

A key element has been to work withBTO, WWT, BASC and the statutoryconservation agencies on anornithological advisory group convenedby Defra to advise government on therisks of wild birds bringing the diseaseto the UK. The message, that culls ofwild birds cannot be effective incontrolling the disease and thusshould not be attempted, has beensuccessfully promoted. The need for a

more co-ordinated programme of ‘die-off’ surveillance has also been strongly advocated.

More specifically, there has been aneed to highlight the potentialconservation implications for keyspecies at risk from the disease itself or from misguided attempts at culls or disturbance of breeding birds. TheRSPB has been playing a major role inthe Government’s surveillance strategy.During winter 2005–06 site-managerson 66 RSPB reserves undertook twice-weekly flock scans looking out for sickor dead birds: 161 dead birds of 31species were found of which 17 werecollected by the veterinary authorities.None were infected.

The risk to public health in thedeveloped world from the viruscurrently infecting wild birds isextremely small. The main threat is tothe poultry industry, where wild birdscould play a role in diseasetransmission; this risk can be managedthrough structured surveillance andappropriate bio-security measures. We expect to continue to need to beinvolved in helping to maintain thebalance between action based onscience and more visceral responses to public or other misconceptions onthe role of wild birds and the feasibility of action targeted at them.

Contact:

andy.evans@rspb.org.uk

The regularly updated RSPB position on avian

influenza is available at

www.rspb.org.uk/policy/avianinfluenza/index.asp

Feare C (2005) Conservation Implications of

Avian Influenza. RSPB Research Report No 14.

RSPB, Sandy.

natureportfolio.com

H5N1 killed more than 10% of the

world population of bar-headed

geese in 2005.

The RSPB funds and supervises a substantial number of PhD studentships each

year.This is a valuable mechanism for undertaking important research, and shows

the RSPB’s commitment to training conservation biologists.

The following list shows those PhD studentships involving the RSPB that were active atsome stage during 2005 and 2006. All projects were funded and / or supervised by theRSPB to varying extents. In addition, the RSPB helped initiate and fund the annualStudent Conference on Conservation Science at Cambridge.

PhD training

50

Research project Student University Partners

Bombus distinguendus ecology Tom Charman Cambridge NERC, IoZ

Stone-curlew disturbance Elisabeth Taylor Cambridge EN

Agriculture and biodiversity: India Malvika Onial Cambridge DH

Stone-curlews and conservation management Alison Johnston Cambridge

Agriculture and biodiversity: Ghana Ben Phalan Cambridge StJC, RG, BOU

Dartford warblers and disturbance Giselle Murison East Anglia EN, CEH

Yellow wagtails on arable land James Gilroy East Anglia EN

Water levels for breeding waders Sarah Eglington East Anglia NERC

Fire, forest structure and bog development Sandra Pratt Edinburgh NERC

Disturbance in Caledonian pine forests Mark Hancock Edinburgh

Corn bunting declines in Scotland Allan Perkins Edinburgh SNH

Farmyard manure and breeding waders Charlotte Horton Harper Adams

Controlling ragwort without herbicides Eleanor Seargent Open University Leader+, EN, EA

Orthoptera and grassland management David Smith Reading EN

Conservation of Bryozoa Samantha Hill Reading EA

Breeding ecology of spotted flycatchers Danaë Stevens Reading

Manipulating vegetation structure for birds Tony Morris Reading

Managed retreat on the Cromarty Firth Amy Crowther Stirling

Flora and blanket bog management Lindsey Rendle Wales, Newport

Kite population dynamics Andrew Simkins Wolverhampton

Metapopulation dynamics of willow tits Finn Stewart Nottingham NERC

Population change in European birds

and bioclimate models Nathalie Doswald Durham NERC

Gough island birds conservation Ross Wanless Cape Town

IBA programme in Sri Lanka Chinthaka Kaluthota Colombo

Farmland birds in the Baltic Republics Irina Herzon Helsinki

Corncrakes in Latvia Oskars Keiss Riga

Corncrakes on Shannon callows Anita Donaghy Cork Dúchas

Remote sensing of African IBAs George Eshiamwata Nairobi BLA, JRC

Forest management and globally threatened birds Dami Filibus Danjuma Jos, Nigeria APLORI

Key:

APLORI – Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI) at Jos, Nigeria; BOU – British Ornithologists’ Union;

BLA – BirdLife Africa Secretariat; CEH – Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; DH – Dorothy Hodgkin postgraduate award;

EA – Environment Agency; EN – English Nature; IoZ – Institute of Zoology; JRC – Joint Research Centre, ISPRA;

Leader+ – Somerset Moors and Levels Leader+; NERC – Natural Environment Research Council;

RG – Robert Gardner Memorial Trust; SNH – Scottish Natural Heritage; StJC – St John’s College, Cambridge

Congratulations to the following former students for being awarded their PhD/DPhils: Fiona Worthy (Aberdeen), Fiona

Sharpe (Bath), Kate Vincent (De Montfort), Ian Adderton (Queen’s, Belfast), Dave Buckingham (Reading), Alan Gray

(Edinburgh); Maggie Keegan (Edinburgh), and Crona O’Shea (Stirling).

51

52

Publications

The complete list of all of the RSPB’s scientific publications for 2005

and the first half of 2006.

Allison M and Ausden M (2006) Effects ofremoving the litter and humic layers onheathland establishment following plantationremoval. Biological Conservation 127: 177–182.

Amar A and Redpath S (2005) Habitat use byhen harriers Circus cyaneus on Orkney:implications of land use change on this decliningpopulation. Ibis 147: 37–47.

Amar A, Picozzi N, Meek ER, Lambin X andRedpath SM (2005) Decline of the Orkney HenHarrier Circus cyaneus population: do changesto demographic parameters and mating systemfit a declining food hypothesis? Bird Study 52:18–24.

Anderson G (2005) BOU News: "Wind, Fire andWater" – Renewable Energy and Birds(conference review). British Birds 98: 365–367.

Anderson GQA and Fergusson MJ (2006)Energy from biomass in the UK: sources,processes and biodiversity implications. Ibis148: 180–183.

Aratrakorn S, Thunhikorn S and Donald PF(2006) Changes in bird communities followingconversion of lowland forest to oil palm andrubber plantations in southern Thailand. BirdConservation International 16: 71–82.

Atkinson PW, Austin GE, Rehfisch MM, BakerH, Cranswick P, Kershaw M, Robinson J,Langston RHW, Stroud DA, Van Turnhout C andMaclean IMD (2006) Identifying declines inwaterbirds: the effects of missing data,population variability and count period on theinterpretation of long-term survey data.Biological Conservation 130: 549–559.

Ausden M, Allison M and Kemp M (2006)Creation of heathland and acid grassland onagriculturally improved land. In: PrendergastHDV (ed). Heathlands – past, present andfuture. The Proceedings of the 8th NationalHeathland Conference held at the University ofSussex, Brighton 7–9 September 2004. EastSussex County Council, Lewis, UK: 119–135.

Ausden M and Drake M (2006) Invertebrates.In: Sutherland WJ (Ed) Census Techniques:second edition. Cambridge University Press,Cambridge: 214–249.

Ausden M, Hall M, Pearson P and Strudwick T(2005) The effects of cattle grazing on tall-herbfen vegetation and molluscs. BiologicalConservation 122: 317–326.

Baker H, Stroud DA, Aebischer NJ, CranswickPA, Gregory RD, McSorely CA, Noble DG andRehfisch MM (2006) Population estimates ofbirds in Great Britain and the United Kingdom.British Birds 99: 25–44.

Balmford A, Bennun L, Ten Brink B, Cooper D,Côté IM, Crane P, Dobson A, Dudley N, DuttonI, Green RE, Gregory RD, Harrison J, KennedyET, Kremen C, Leader-Williams N, Lovejoy TE,Mace G, May R, Mayaux P, Morling P, Phillips J,Redford K, Ricketts TH, Rodriguez JP, SanjayanM, Schei PJ, Van Jaarsverld AS and Walther BA

(2005) The Convention on Biological Diversity’s2010 Target. Science 307: 212–213.

Balmford A, Crane P, Dobson A, Green RE andMace GM (2005) The 2010 challenge: dataavailability, information needs andextraterrestrial insights. PhilosophicalTransactions of the Royal Society 360: 221–228.

Balmford A, Green RE and Scharlemann JPW(2005) Sparing land for nature: exploring thepotential impact of changes in agricultural yieldon the area needed for crop production. GlobalChange Biology 11: 1594–1605.

Beale CM, Burfield IJ, Sim IMW, Rebecca GW,Pearce-Higgins JW and Grant MC (2006)Climate change may account for the decline inBritish ring ouzels Turdus torquatus. Journal ofAnimal Ecology 75: 826-835.

Beale CM, Dodd S, Pearce-Higgins JW (2006)Wader recruitment indices suggest nestingsuccess is temperature-dependent in DunlinCalidris alpina. Ibis 148: 405–410.

Beaumont DJ, Amphlett A and Housden SD(2005) Abernethy Forest RSPB Nature Reserve:managing for birds, biodiversity and people. In:Thompson DBA, Price MF and Galbraith CA(eds) Mountains of Northern Europe:Conservation, Management, People and Nature.TSO Scotland, Edinburgh: 239–250.

Bradbury RB, Hill RA, Mason DC, Balzter H,Wilson JD, Hinsley SA, Anderson GQA,Whittingham MJ, Davenport IJ, and Bellamy PE(2005) Modelling relationships between birdsand vegetation structure using airborne LiDARdata: a review with case studies fromagricultural and woodland environments. Ibis147: 443–452.

Bradbury RB and Kirby WJ (2006) Farmlandbirds and resource protection in the UK: cross-cutting solutions for multi-functional farming?Biological Conservation 129: 530–542.

Buchanan GM, Grant MC, Sanderson RA andPearce-Higgins JW (2006) The contribution ofinvertebrate taxa to moorland bird diets and thepotential implications of land-use management.Ibis doi: 10.1111/j.1474–919x.2006.00578.x

Buchanan GM, Pearce-Higgins JW and GrantMC (2006) Observer variation in estimates ofMeadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) and Skylark(Alauda arvensis) abundance on moorland. BirdStudy 53: 92–95.

Buchanan G, Pearce-Higgins J, Grant M,Robertson D and Waterhouse T (2005)Characterisation of moorland vegetation and theprediction of bird abundance using remotesensing. Journal of Biogeography 32: 697–707.

Buckingham DL and Peach WJ (2005) Theinfluence of livestock management on habitatquality for farmland birds. Animal Science81:199–203.

Buckingham DL, Peach WJ and Fox DS (2006)Effects of agricultural management on the use

of lowland grassland in the UK by foragingbirds. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment112: 21–40.

Buckland ST, Magurran AE, Green RE andFewster RM (2005) Monitoring change inbiodiversity through composite indices.Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society360: 243–254.

Buckland ST, Summers RW, Borchers DL andThomas L (2006) Point transect sampling withtraps or lures. Journal of Applied Ecology 43:377–384.

Butler SJ, Bradbury RB and Whittingham MJ(2005) Stubble height affects the use of stubblefields by farmland birds. Journal of AppliedEcology 42: 469-476.

Butler SJ, Whittingham MJ, Quinn JL andCresswell W (2005) Quantifying the interactionbetween food density and habitat structure indetermining patch selection. Animal Behaviour69: 337–343.

Cardoso M, Hyatt A, Selleck P, Lowther S,Prakash V, Pain D, Cunningham AA and Boyle D(2005) Phylogenetic analysis of the DNApolymerase gene of a novel alphaherpesvirusisolated from an Indian gyps vulture. VirusGenes 30: 371–381.

Cunningham HM, Bradbury RB, Chaney K andWilcox A (2005) Effect of non-inversion tillageon field usage by UK farmland birds in winter.Bird Study 52: 173–179.

Cuthbert RJ (2005) Breeding biology, chickgrowth and provisioning of Great Shearwaters(Puffinus gravis) at Gough Island, South AtlanticOcean. Emu 105: 305–310.

Cuthbert RJ, Green RE, Ranade S, Saravanan S,Pain DJ, Prakash V and Cunningham AA (2006)Rapid populations declines of Egyptian vultures(Neophron percnopterus) and red-headedvultures (Sarcogyps calvus) in India. AnimalConservation 9: 349–354.

Cuthbert RJ, Hilton GM, Ryan PG and Tuck G(2005) At-sea distribution of breeding TristanAlbatrosses Diomedea dabbenena and potentialinteractions with pelagic longline fishing in theSouth Atlantic Ocean. Biological Conservation121: 345–355.

Danielsen F, Burgess ND, Balmford A, Fjeldsa J,Andrianandrasana HT, Becker CD, Bennun L,Brashares JS, Christiansen S, Donald PF, EguinoS, Enghoff M, Funder M, Gray M, Hubertz H,Jones JPG, Oetting I, Poulsen MK, van RijsoortJ, Stuart-Hill G, Topp-Jorgensen E, TownsendWR, Uychiaoco AJ, Whitten T and Yonten D(2006) Monitoring matters: evaluating locally-based biodiversity monitoring in developingcountries. Oryx 40: 14–15.

De León A, Mínguez E, Harvey P, Meek E,Crane JE and Furness RW (2006) Factorsaffecting breeding distribution of Storm-petrelsHydrobates pelagicus in Orkney and Shetland.Bird Study 53: 64–72.

Publications in scientific journals,

proceedings and books

53

54

Dmitrenok M, Puglisi L, Demongin L, Gilbert G,Polak M and Bretagnolle V (2006) Geographicalvariation, sex and age in Great Bittern Botaurusstellaris using coloration and morphometrics.Ibis doi: 10.1111/j.1474-91X.2006.00592.x

Donald PF (2005) Short and variable incubationperiod of the Skylark Alauda arvensis. BritishBirds 98: 607–608.

Donald PF and Brooke M de L (2006) Anunlikely survivor: the unusual natural history ofthe Raso Lark. British Birds 99: 420-430.

Donald PF, Brooke M de L, Bolton MR, Taylor R,Wells CE, Marlow T and Hille S (2005) Status ofRaso Lark Alauda razae in 2003, with furthernotes on sex ratio, behaviour and conservation.Bird Conservation International 15: 165-172.

Donald PF and Evans AD (2006) Habitatconnectivity and matrix restoration: the widerimplications of agri-environment schemes.Journal of Applied Ecology 43: 209–218.

Donald PF and Morris AJ (2005) Saving theSkylark: new solutions for a declining farmlandbird. British Birds 98: 570–578.

Donald PF, Sanderson FJ, Burfield IJ and vanBommel FPJ (2006) Further evidence ofcontinent-wide impacts of agriculturalintensification on European farmland birds,1990–2000. Agriculture, Ecosystems andEnvironment 116: 189–196.

Drewitt AL and Langston RHW (2006)Assessing the impacts of wind farms on birds.Ibis 148: 29-42.

Eaton MA, Gregory RD, Noble DG, RobinsonJA, Hughes J, Procter D, Brown AF andGibbons DW (2005) Regional IUCN red listing:an investigation of the process as applied tobirds in the United Kingdom. ConservationBiology 19: 1557–1570.

Etheridge B and Summers RW (2006)Movements of British Hen Harriers Circuscyaneus outside the breeding season. Ringing &Migration 23: 6–14.

Finney SK, Pearce-Higgins JW and Yalden DW(2005) The effect of recreational disturbance onan upland breeding bird, the golden ploverPluvialis apricaria. Biological Conservation 121:53–63.

Fisher IJ, Pain DJ, Thomas V (2006) A review oflead poisoning from ammunition sources interrestrial birds. Biological Conservation 131:421-432.

Fisher S, Holliday K, Howard C, Allen B, Grice P,Robertson P, Phillips J and Noble D (2005) TheFarmland Bird Database. Targeting agri-environment schemes on farmland birds. BritishWildlife 17(2): 77–81.

Freckleton RP, Watkinson AR, Green RE andSutherland WJ (2006) Census error and thedetection of density-dependence. Journal ofAnimal Ecology 75: 837–851.

Fuller RJ, Atkinson PW, Garnett MC, ConwayGJ, Bibby CJ and Johnstone IG (2006) Breedingbird communities in the upland margins (theFfridd) of central Wales. Bird Study 53: 177–186.

Fuller RJ, Noble DG, Smith KW andVanhinsbergh D (2005) Recent declines inpopulations of woodland birds in Britain: a

review of possible causes. British Birds 98:116–143.

Gibbons DW, Bohan DA, Rothery P, Stuart RC,Haughton AJ, Scott RJ, Wilson JD, Perry JN,Clark SJ, Dawson RJG and Firbank L (2006)Weed seed resources for birds in fields withcontrasting conventional and geneticallymodified herbicide-tolerant crops. Proceedingsof the Royal Society, B 273: 1921–1928.

Gibbons DW and Gregory RD (2006) Birds. In:Sutherland WJ (Ed), Census Techniques:second edition. Cambridge University Press,Cambridge: 308–350.

Gilbert G, Tyler GA, Dunn CJ and Smith KW(2005) Nesting habitat selection by BitternsBotaurus stellaris in Britain and the implicationfor wetland management. BiologicalConservation 124: 547–553

Gilbert G, Tyler G and Smith KW (2005)Behaviour, home-range size and habitat use bymale Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris in Britain.Ibis 147: 533–543.

Gilbert G, Tyler GA, Dunn CJ, Ratcliffe N andSmith KW (2006) The influence of habitatmanagement on the breeding success of theGreat Bittern Botaurus stellaris. Ibis doi:10.1111/j.1474-91X.2006.00593.x

Goss-Custard JD, West AD, Yates MG, CaldowRWG, Stillman RAS, Castilla J, Castro M,Dierschke V, Le V dit Durell SEA, Eichhorn G,Ens BJ, Exo K, Udayangani-Fernando PU,Ferns PN, Hockey PAR, Gill JA, Johnstone I,Kalejta-Summers B, Masero JA, Moreira F,Nagarajan R, Owens IPF, Pacheco C, Perez-Hurtado A, Rogers D, Scheiffarth,G Sitters H,Sutherland WK, Triplet P, Worral DA, Zharikov Y,Zwarts L and Pettiforp RA (2006) Intake ratesand the functional response in shorebirds(Charadriiformes) eating macro-invertebrates.Biological Reviews:doi:10.S1464793106007093

Grant M, Pearce-Higgins J, Buchanan G andO'Brien M (2006) Determining the effects ofgrazing on moorland birds: a summary of workunderway at the RSPB. In: Davison R andGalbraith CA (eds). Farming, forestry and thenatural heritage: towards a more integratedfuture. SNH, TSO, Edinburgh.

Grant MC and Dawson B (2005) Black grousehabitat requirements in forested environments:implications for conservation management. In:Anon (ed) Proceedings of the 3rd EuropeanBlack Grouse Conference, Ruthin 106–119.

Green RE (2006) Decline of Vultures in Asia.Science 311: 1378.

Green RE, Balmford AP, Crane PR, Mace GM,Reynolds JD and Turner RK (2005) Aframework for improved monitoring ofbiodiversity: responses to the World Summiton Sustainable Development. ConservationBiology 19: 56–65.

Green RE, Cornell SJ, Scharlemann JPW andBalmford A (2005) Farming and the Fate of Wild Nature. Science 307: 550–555.

Green RE, Cornell SJ, Scharlemann JPW andBalmford A (2005) The Future of Farming andConservation. Science 308: 1257.

Green RE, Taggart MA, Das D, Pain, DJ, SashiKumar C, Cunningham AA and Cuthbert R

(2006) Collapse of Asian vulture populations:risk of mortality from residues of the veterinarydrug diclofenac in carcasses of treated cattle.Journal of Applied Ecology 43: 949–956.

Green RE and Tyler GA (2005) Estimating theage of Corncrake Crex crex chicks from weightand the development of primary remiges.Ringing & Migration 22: 139–144.

Gregory RD (2006) Birds as biodiversityindicators for Europe. Significance 3: 106–100.

Gregory RD, van Strien AJ, Vorisek P, GmeligMeyling AW, Noble DG, Foppen RPB andGibbons DW (2005) Developing indicators forEuropean birds. Philosophical Transactions ofThe Royal Society 360: 269–288.

Gruar D, Barritt D and Peach W (2006) Summerutilisation of oilseed rape by reed buntingsEmberiza schoeniclus and other farmland birds.Bird Study 53: 47–54.

Hancock MH, Egan S, Summers RW, Cowie N,Amphlett A, Rao S and Hamilton A (2005) Theeffect of experimental prescribed fire on theestablishment of Scots pine Pinus sylvestris onheather Calluna vulgaris moorland. ForestEcology and Management 212: 199–213.

Hill S and Okamura B (2005) A review of theecology of Lophopus crystallinus (Plumatellida,Lophopodiae), a rare species within the U.K.Denisia 16:193–201.

Hilton GM, Thompson DR, Sagar PM, CuthbertRJ, Cherel Y and Bury SJ (2006) A stableisotopic investigation into the causes of declinein a sub-Antarctic predator, the rockhopperpenguin Eudyptes chrysocome. Global ChangeBiology 12: 611–625.

Hole DG, Perkins AJ, Wilson JD, Alexander IH,Grice PV and Evans AD (2005) Does organicfarming benefit biodiversity? BiologicalConservation 122: 113–130.

Huntley B, Collingham YC, Green R, Hilton GM,Rahbek C and Willis SG (2006) Potential impactsof climatic change upon geographicaldistributions of birds. Ibis 148: 8–28.

Jackson DB (2005) Environmental correlates oflake occupancy and chick survival of Black-throated Divers Gavia arctica in Scotland. BirdStudy 52: 225–236.

Jackson DB (2006) The breeding biology ofintroduced hedgehogs (Erinaceus europeaus) ona Scottish island: lessons for population controland bird conservation. Journal of Zoology 268:303–314.

Johnstone I, Whitehead S and Wilson JD (2005)Habitat selection by breeding chough(Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) in coastal NorthWales. Bird Study 52: 193–203.

Jouventin P, Cuthbert RJ and all R (2006)Genetic isolation and divergence in sexual traits:evidence for the northern rockhopper penguinEudyptes moseleyi being a sibling species.Molecular Ecology doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2006.03028.x

Kirby W, Black K, Pratt S and Bradbury R (2005)Territory and nest site habitat associations ofSpotted Flycatchers Muscicapa striata breedingin central England. Ibis 147: 420–424.

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Langston R (2005) Birds and wind farms – flyinghigh? Proceedings of the 2004 EWEC EuropeanWind Energy Conference. EWEC, London.

Langston RHW (2006) Editorial introduction.Wind, Fire and Water: Renewable Energy andBirds. Ibis 148:1–3.

Langston RHW, Smith T, Brown AF and GregoryRD (2006) The status of breeding Twite,Carduelis flavirostris, in the UK. Bird Study 53:55–63.

Leon A De, Minguez E, Harvey P, Meek E,Crane JE and Furness RW (2006) Factorsaffecting breeding distribution of Storm-petrelsHydrobates pelagicus in Orkney and Shetland.Bird Study 53: 64–72.

Loh J, Green RE, Rickets T, Lamoreux J, JenkinsM, Kapos V and Randers J (2005) The LivingPlanet Index: using species population timeseries to track trends in biodiversity.Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society360: 289–295.

Manu S, Peach W, Bowden C and Creswell W(2005) The effects of forest fragmentation onthe population density and distribution of theglobally endangered Ibadan Malimbe Malimbusibadanensis. Bird Conservation International 15:275–285.

Manu S, Peach W, and Creswell W (2005) Noteson the natural history of the Ibadan MalimbeMalimbus ibadanensis, a threatened Nigerianendemic. Malimbus 27: 33–39.

Martins TLF, de L Brooke M, Hilton G,Farnsworth F, Gould J and Pain DJ (2006)Costing eradications of alien mammals fromislands. Animal Conservationdoi:10.1111/j.1469–1795.2006.00058.x.

McGowan A, Broderick AC, Gore SC, HiltonGM, Woodfield NK and Godley BJ (2006)Breeding seabirds in the British Virgin Islands.Endangered Species Research 3: 1–6.

Miller RM, Rodríguez JP, Aniskowicz-Fowler T,Bambaradeniya C, Boles R, Eaton MA,Gärdenfors U, Keller V, Molur S, Walker S andpollock C (2006) Extinction risk andconservation priorities. Science 313: 441.

Moorcroft D, Wilson JD and Bradbury RB (2006)The diet of nestling Linnets Carduelis cannabinaon lowland farmland before and after agricultural intensification. Bird Study 53:156–162.

Morris AJ, Wilson JD, Whittingham MJ andBradbury RB (2005) Indirect effects ofpesticides on breeding yellowhammer Emberizacitrinella. Agriculture, Ecosystems andEnvironment 106: 1–16.

Nelson SH, Evans AD and Bradbury RB (2006)The efficacy of an ultrasonic cat deterrent.Applied Animal Behaviour Science 96: 83–91.

Nelson SH, Evans AD and Bradbury RB (2006)The efficacy of collar-mounted devices inreducing the rate of predation of wildlife bydomestic cats. Applied Animal BehaviourScience 94: 273–285.

Newson SE, Woodburn RJW, Noble DG, BaillieSR and Gregory RD (2005) Evaluating theBreeding Bird Survey for producing nationalpopulation size and density estimates. BirdStudy 52: 42–45.

Niven JE and Scharlemann JPW (2005) Doesmetabolic rate at rest and during flight scale withbody mass in insects? Biology Letters 1:346–349.

O’Brien M (2005) Estimating the number offarmland breeding waders in the UnitedKingdom. International Wader Studies 14:135–139.

Okill JD and Bolton M (2005) Ages of StormPetrels Hydrobates pelagicus prospectingpotential breeding colonies. Ringing & Migration22: 205–208.

Pain DJ, Fishpool L, Byaruhanga A, Arinaitwe Jand Balmford A (2005) Biodiversityrepresentation in Uganda’s forest IBAs.Biological Conservation 125: 133–138.

Pain DJ, Martins TLF, Boussekey M, Diaz SH,Downs CT, Ekstrom JMM, Garnett S, Gilardi JD,McNiven D, Primot P, Rouys S, Saoumoé M,Symes CT, Tamungang SA, Theuerkauf J,Villafuerte D, Verfailles L, Widmann P andWidmann ID (2006) The impact of protection onnest-take and nesting success of parrots inAfrica, Asia and Australasia. Animal Conservation9: 322–330.

Pain DJ, Meharg AA, Ferrer M, Taggart M andPenteriani V (2005) Lead concentrations in bonesand feathers of the globally threatened Spanishimperial eagle. Biological Conservation 121:603–610.

Parlane S, Summers RW, Cowie N and vanGardingen, P. (2006) Management proposals forbilberry in Scots pine woodland. Forest Ecologyand Management 222: 272-278.

Pearce-Higgins JW and Beale C (2006)Assessing the impacts of climate change onupland birds in the UK. In: Price MF (ed) GlobalChange in Mountain Regions. SapiensPublishing, Duncow: 171–172.

Pearce-Higgins JW and Grant MC (2006)Relationships between bird abundance and thecomposition and structure of moorlandvegetation. Bird Study 53: 112–125.

Pearce-Higgins JW, Grant MC and Robinson MC(2005) Correlates of black grouse decline. In:Proceedings of the 3rd European Black GrouseConference, Ruthin 120–128.

Pearce-Higgins JW and Yalden DW (2005) Thedifficulties of counting breeding Golden PloversPluvialis apricaria. Bird Study 52: 339–342.

Pearce-Higgins JW, Yalden DW and WhittinghamMJ (2005) Warmer springs advance the breedingphenology of golden plovers Pluvialis apricariaand their prey (Tipulidae). Oecologia 143:470–476.

Perkins AJ, Hancock M, Butcher N and SummersRW (2005) Use of time-lapse cameras todetermine causes of nest failure of SlavonianGrebes Podiceps auritus. Bird Study 52:159–165.

Potts SG, Bradbury RB, Mortimer SR andWoodcock BA (2006) Commentary on Kleijn etal: Mixed benefits of agri-environment schemesin five European Countries. Ecology Letters 9:254–256.

Prakash V, Cuthbert RJ, Green RE, Pain DJ,Ranade S, Saravanan RS and Cunningham AA(2006) Rapid population declines of Egyptian

Vulture and Red-Headed Vulture in India. AnimalConservation 9: 349–354.

Prakash V, Green RE, Rahmani AR, Pain DJ,Virani MZ, Khan AA, Baral HS, Jhala YV, NaorojiR, Shah N, Bowden CGR, Choudhury BC,Narayan GG and Gautam P (2005) Evidence tosupport that diclofenac caused catastrophicvulture population decline. Current Science 88:1533–1534.

Ratcliffe N, Schmitt SA and Whiffin M (2005)Sink or swim? Viability of a black-tailed godwitpopulation in relation to flooding. Journal ofApplied Ecology 82: 834–843.

Roberts RL, Donald PF and Fisher IJ (2005)Worldbirds: Developing a Web-based DataCollection System for the Global Monitoring ofBird Distribution and Abundance.Biodiversityand Conservation 14: 2807–2820.

Ryan PG, Dorse C and Hilton GM (2006) Theconservation status of the spectacled petrelProcellaria conspicillata. Biological Conservation131: 575–583.

Sanderson FJ, Donald PF and Burfield IJ (2005)Farmland birds in Europe: from policy change topopulation decline and back again. In: Bota G,Camprodon J, Mañosa S and Morales MB (eds)Ecology and conservation of steppe-land birds.Lynx Edicions, Barcelona: 209–234

Sanderson FJ, Donald PF, Pain DJ, Burfield IJand van Bommel FPJ (2006) Long-termpopulation declines in Afro-Palearctic migrantbirds. Biological Conservation 131: 93–105.

Schäffer N, Walther BA, Gutteridge K andRahbek C (2006) The African migration andwintering grounds of the Aquatic WarblerAcrocephalus paludicola. Bird ConservationInternational 16: 33–56.

Scharlemann JPW, Balmford A and Green RE(2005) The level of threat to restricted-rangebird species can be predicted from mappeddata on land use and human population.Biological Conservation 123: 317–326.

Sears J and Hunter JM (2005) The re-discoveryof the rare mining bee Colletes floralisEversmann 1852, in Northern Ireland in 2003.Irish Naturalists Journal 28: 53–58.

Shultz S, Bradbury RB, Evans KL, Gregory RD,and Blackburn TM (2005) Brain size andresource specialisation predict long-termpopulation trends in British birds. Proceedingsof the Royal Society, B. 272: 2305–2311.

Sim IMW, Gregory RD, Hancock MH and BrownAF (2005) Recent changes in the abundance ofBritish upland breeding birds. Bird Study 52:261–275.

Smith KW (2005) Has the reduction in nest sitecompetition from Starlings Sturnus vulgarisbeen a factor in the recent increase of GreatSpotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos majornumbers in Britain? Bird Study 52: 307–313.

Smith KW (2006) The Herts Bird Club survey ofbreeding corn buntings Emberiza calandra inHertfordshire in 2003. Transactions of theHertfordshire Natural History Society 38:124–129.

Smith KW (2006) The implications of nest sitecompetition from starlings Sturnus vulgaris andthe effect of spring temperatures on the timing

and breeding performance of great spottedwoodpeckers Dendrocopos major in southernEngland. Annales Zoologici Fennici 43: 177–185.

Smith KW, Dee CW, Terry J H, Ilett M, GoodallG, White G and Fletcher EW (2005)Hertfordshire red data list for birds 2003:species texts. Transactions of the HertfordshireNatural History Society 36:117–136.

Smith RD and Summers RW (2005) Populationsize, breeding biology and origins of ScottishPurple Sandpipers. British Birds 98: 579–588.

Squirrell J, Hollingsworth PNM, Sears J, BanksB, Ferry B and De Graaf DTh. (2006)Assessment of genetic diversity in populationsof Crepis foetida L. (Asteraceae). Watsonia 26:121–126.

Stevens DK and Bradbury RB (2006) Effects ofthe Arable Stewardship Pilot Scheme onbreeding birds at field and farm-scales.Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 112:283–290.

Summers BK (2006) Changes in numbers anddistribution of waders in the Moray Firth,1988–2003. Scottish Birds 26: 1–16.

Summers RW, Butterfield D, Swan B and InsleyH (2005) The decline of Purple SandpipersCalidris maritima in the Moray Firth – an effectof recruitment. Wader Study Group Bulletin 106:34–38.

Summers RW and Jardine DC (2006) Vocalsimilarities between Mediterranean and northEuropean pine crossbills Loxia spp. Ardeola 52:269–278.

Summers RW and Proctor R (2005) Timing ofshedding seeds and cones and production indifferent stands of Scots pines at AbernethyForest, Scotland. Forestry 78: 541–549.

Sutherland WJ, Armstrong-Brown S, ArmsworthPR et al (2006) The identification of 100ecological questions of high policy relevance inthe UK. Journal of Applied Ecology 43: 617-627.

Swan GE, Cuthbert R, Quevedo M, Green RE,Pain DJ, Bartels P, Cunningham AA, Duncan N,Meharg AA, Oaks JL, Parry-Jones J, Shultz S,Taggart MA, Verdoorn G and Wolter K (2006)Toxicity of diclofenac to Gyps vultures. BiologyLetters 2: 279–282.

Swan GE, Naidoo V, Cuthbert R, Green RE, PainDJ, Swarup D, Prakash V, Taggart M, Bekker L,Das D, Diekmann J, Diekmann M, Killian E,Meharg A, Patra RC, Saini M and Wolter K(2006) Removing the Threat of Diclofenac toCritically Endangered Asian Vultures. PublicLibrary of Science Biology 4: 1–8.

Swetman RD, Wilson JD, Whittingham MJ andGrice PV (2005) Designing lowland landscapesfor farmland birds: scenario testing with GIS.Computers, Environment and Urban Systems29: 275–296.

Taggart MA, Carlisle M, Pain DJ, Williams R,Green D, Osborn D, and Meharg AA (2005)Arsenic levels in the soils and macrophytes ofthe ‘Entremuros’ after the Aznalcóllar mine spill.Environmental Pollution 133: 129–138.

Telfer MG (2005) Carabid conservation within anature reserve network established for birds. In:Lövei GL and Toft S (eds) EuropeanCarabidology 2003: Proceedings of the 11th

European Carabidologists’ Meeting. DIASreport Plant Production No 114, Flakkebjerg:Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences:325–332.

Tushabe H, Kalema J, Byaruhanga A, Asasira J,Ssegawa P, Balmford A, Davenport T, Fjeldså J,Friis I, Pain D, Pomeroy D, Williams and,Williams C (2006) How Important areImportant Bird Areas? A NationwideAssessment of the Biodiversity Value ofUganda’s IBA Network. Conservation Biology20: 85–99.

Whitehead S and Johnstone I (2005)Measuring the diet of choughs Pyrrhocoraxpyrrhocorax in north Wales. Welsh Birds 4:(3)236–256.

Whitehead S, Johnstone I and Wilson J (2006)Choughs Phyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax breeding inWales select foraging habitat at differentspatial scales. Bird Study 52: 193–203.

Whittingham MJ, Butler SJ, Quinn JL andCresswell W (2005) The effect of limitedvisibility on vigilance behaviour and speed ofpredator detection: implications for theconservation of granivorous passerines. Oikos106: 377–385.

Whittingham MJ, Devereux CL, Evans AD andBradbury RB (2006) Altering perceivedpredation risk and food availability:management prescriptions to benefit farmlandbirds on stubble fields. Journal of AppliedEcology 43: 640–650.

Whittingham MJ, Stephens P, Bradbury RB andFreckleton RP (2006) Why do we still usestepwise modelling in ecology and behaviour?Journal of Animal Ecology 75: 1182–1189.

Whittingham MJ, Swetnam RD, Wilson JD,Chamberlain DE and Freckleton RP (2005)Habitat selection by yellowhammers Emberizacitrinella on lowland farmland at two spatialscales: implications for conservationmanagement. Journal of Applied Ecology 42:270–290.

Wilson JD, Akriotis T, Balmer DE, Hatton L andMillar S (2006) Biometrics and moult of Red-rumped Swallows Hirundo daurica. Ringing &Migration 23: 57–61.

Wilson JD and Peach W (2006) Impact of anexceptional winter flood on the populationdynamics of bearded tits (Panurus biarmicus).Animal Conservation doi: 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2006.0063.x

Wilson AM, Vickery JA, Brown A, LangstonRHW, Smallshire D, Wotton S andVanhinsbergh D (2005) Changes in the numberof breeding waders on lowland wet grasslandsin England and Wales between 1982 and 2002.Bird Study 52: 55–69.

Wilson JD, Bradbury RB and Whittingham MJ(2005) The management of crop structure: ageneral approach to reversing the impacts ofagricultural intensification on birds? Ibis 147:453–463.

Wotton S and Conway G (2006) Nightjars inWales in 2004. Welsh Birds 4: 423–427.

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Adderton I (2005) The ecology and implications forconservation of increasing corvid numbers. PhDthesis, Queen’s University Belfast.

Alexander KNA (2005) Synaptus filiformis(Fabricius): Survey and monitoring of the UK BAPpriority hairy click beetle during 2005. Action forInvertebrates Report.

Amar A, Hewson CM, Thewlis RM, Smith KW,Fuller R J, Lindsell J, Conway G, Butler S andMacDonald MA (2006) What's happening to ourwoodland birds? Long-term changes in thepopulations of woodland birds. RSPB ResearchReport No 19, RSPB, Sandy.

Angel A, Brown D, Cooper J, Hilton G andSanders S (2006) The introduced rodents ofTristan da Cunha and Gough Islands (SouthAtlantic): impacts and management options.RSPB Research Report No 17, RSPB, Sandy.

Bright J A (2006) Insects on farmland and theirimportance to granivorous birds. PhD thesis,University of Stirling.

Bright JA, Langston RHW, Bullman R, Evans R J,Gardner S, Pearce-Higgins J and Wilson E (2006)Bird sensitivity map to aid location of onshorewind farms in Scotland. RSPB Research ReportNo 20, RSPB, Sandy.

Buckingham DL (2005) The effects of foodabundance, sward structure and management onforaging by yellowhammers on agriculturalgrasslands. PhD thesis, University of Reading.

Butler SJ (2005) Stubble field prescriptions forfarmland birds – the role of sward structure inmediating food availability. D Phil Thesis,University of Oxford.

Cunningham HM (2005) The effect of non-inversion tillage on farmland birds, soil andsurface-active invertebrates and surface seeds.PhD Thesis, Open University and Harper AdamsUniversity College.

Dennis P, Elston D, Evans DM, Evans SA, GordonIJ, Grant M, Kunaver A, Marquiss M, Mayes R,McCracken DI, Pakeman R, Pearce-Higgins J,Redpath SM, Skartveit J, Stephen L, Benton Tand Bryant D (2005) Effects of GrazingManagement on Upland Bird Populations:Disentangling Habitat Structure and ArthropodFood Supply at Appropriate Spatial Scales(GRUB). Unpubl. report to The Scottish ExecutiveEnvironment and Rural Affairs Department,Edinburgh.

Donald PF (2005) Climate change and habitatconnectivity; assessing the need for landscape-scale adaptation for birds in the UK. RSPBResearch Report No 10, RSPB, Sandy.

Eaton MA, Ausden M, Burton N, Grice PV, HearnRD, Hewson CM, Hilton GM, Noble DG, RatcliffeN and Rehfisch MM (2006) The state of the UK’sbirds 2005. RSPB, BTO, WWT, CCW, EN, EHSand SNH, Sandy, Bedfordshire.

Eaton M, Bradbury R and Bowden C (2005) TheMagnificent Frigatebird in Shropshire. BirdingWorld 18: 479–481.

Eaton MA, Noble DG, Hearn RD, Grice PV,Gregory RD, Wotton S, Ratcliffe N, Hilton GM,Rehfisch MM, Crick HQP and Hughes J (2005)The state of the UK’s birds 2004. BTO, RSPB,WWT, CCW, EN, EHS and SNH, Sandy.

EFSA (2006) EFSA Scientific report on MigratoryBirds and their Possible Role in the Spread ofHighly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Adopted bywritten procedure 12 May 2006. EFSA-Q-2005-243. Annex to The EFSA Journal (2006) 357, 1-46.European Food Standards Agency, Milan.

Feare C (2005) Conservation Implications of AvianInfluenza. RSPB Research Report No 14, RSPB,Sandy.

Fisher IJ, Pain DJ and Thomas VG (2006) A reviewof lead poisoning in terrestrial birds. RSPB,Sandy.

Gibbs D (2005) Invertebrate survey of MinsmereRSPB Reserve, Suffolk, VC25. Unpublished reportto the RSPB.

Godfrey A (2006) Survey and study of Lipsothrixnigristigma in Britain in 2005. Action forInvertebrates Report.

Hammond PM (2006) Survey for the groundbeetle Anisodactylus poeciloides (Stephens) insouthern and southwestern England in 2005.Action for Invertebrates Report.

Hancock MH (2005) Fire and Cattle on moorland:suitable tools for promoting tree regeneration?JNCC Uplands Newsletter, 'Looking to the Hills'13: 13–14.

Hancock MH (2005) Cattle management trials ina Scottish native pinewood. Grazing AnimalsProject Newsletter – GAP News 32: 24.

Hill SLL (i2006) The Ecology and Conservation inBritain of Lophopus crystallinus, a RareFreshwater Bryozoan. PhD thesis, ReadingUniversity.

Hill SLL (2006) Report on the survey of Lophopuscrystallinus in Britain during 2005-06. Action forInvertebrates Report.

Jeganathan P, Rahmani AR and Green R (2005)Construction of Teluga-Ganga Canal in and aroundtwo protected areas in Cuddapah District, AndhraPradesh, India. Immediate threat to the worldpopulation of the critically endangered Jerdon’sCourser Rhinoptilus bitorquatus. Survey Report.Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai.

Jimenez-Armesto M, Boehm C and Bowden C(compilers) (2006) International Single SpeciesAction Plan for the Conservation of the NorthernBald Ibis Geronticus eremita. AEWA TechnicalSeries No 10. Bonn, Germany.

Jones CA, Basch G, Baylis AD, Bazzoni D, BiggsJ, Bradbury RB, Chaney K, Deeks LK, Field R,Gómez JA, Jones RJA, Jordan VWL, Lane MCG,Leake A, Livermore M, Owens PN, Ritz K, SturnyWG and Thomas F (2006) ConservationAgriculture in Europe: An approach to sustainablecrop production by protecting soil and water?SOWAP, Jealott’s Hill, Bracknell.

Reports, theses and other publications

Johnstone IG, Gray C and Noble DG (2005) Thestate of birds in Wales 2004. RSPB Cymru,Cardiff.

Joys AC, Noble DG, Wotton SR and Gregory RD(2005) Production of BBS-based RegionalIndicators for Wild Bird Populations: 1994–2003.BTO/RSPB, Thetford and Sandy.

MacDonald MA (2006) The indirect effects ofincreased nutrient inputs on birds in the UK: areview. RSPB Research Report No 21. The RSPB,Sandy.

Mavor RA, Parsons M, Heubeck M and Schmitt S(2005) Seabird numbers and breeding success inBritain and Ireland, 2004. UK NatureConservation, No 29. JNCC, Peterborough.

May M, Dewar A, Champion G, Haylock L, MorrisA, Henderson I and Brown S (2005) The value ofthe sugar beet crop for birds and the farmenvironment. Final Report: British Beet ResearchOrganisation Project 03/13.

Middlebrook I (2005) Species Dossier:Brachyptera putata, a stonefly. Action forInvertebrates Report

Middlebrook I (2006) Species Dossier: Synaptusfiliformis, the hairy click-beetle. Action forInvertebrates Report

Middlebrook I (2006) Action for Invertebrates: 6thAnnual Progress Report. Action for InvertebratesReport

Morris AJ (2005) The value of the sugar beet cropfor birds and the farm environment. Report B –within-crop management (unplanted plots):British Beet Research Organisation Project 03/13:Report B.

O’Brien MG, Pearce-Higgins JW and Grant MC(2005) Research on the effects of Foot andMouth disease on breeding waders. RSPBResearch Report No 12, RSPB, Sandy.

Ratcliffe N, Schmitt S, Mayo A and Drewitt A(2005) Colony Habitat Selection by Little TernsSterna albifrons in East Anglia. RSPB ResearchReport No 13, RSPB, Sandy.

Rotheray G (2006) Restoring the BAP HoverfliesBelera fallax and Hammerschmidtia ferruginea(Diptera, Sryphidae). Unpublished report to SNHand RSPB.

Rotheray GE (2005) Survey and study of Dorosprofuges (Diptera, Syrphidae): report of fieldworkcarried out in 2004 and 2005. Action forInvertebrates Report.

Ryan PG (2006) Inaccessible Island BirdMonitoring Manual. RSPB Research Report No16,RSPB, Sandy.

Siriwardena GM, Vickery JA, Anderson GQA,Stevens DK, Calbrade NA, Hewson C, Gillings Sand Sutherland WJ (2005) The consequences ofspatial scale for agri-environment schemesdesigned to provide winter food resources forbirds. Final report for Defra project BD1616. BTO,Thetford.

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Summers RW (2005) The History and Ecologyof Abernethy Forest, Strathspey. RSPB, Sandy.

Summers R (2005) Andean Goose, MagellanGoose, Kelp Goose, Ashy-headed Goose,Ruddy-headed Goose. In Kear, J. (Ed.). BirdFamilies of the World. Ducks , Geese andSwans. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford.

Vincent KE (2005) Investigating the causes ofthe decline of the Urban House sparrowpopulation in Britain. PhD thesis. De MontfordUniversity, Leicester.

Williams SA (2005) Anisodactylus poeciloides(Stephens, 1828): survey report for 2005. Actionfor Invertebrates Report.

Wotton SR and Peach WJ (2005) Populationchanges and summer habitat associations ofbreeding cirl buntings and other farmland birdsin relation to measures provided through theCountryside Stewardship Scheme in Devon,England. Report to Defra.

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healthy environment for birds

and wildlife, helping to create a better

world for us all. We belong to BirdLife

International, the global partnership of bird

conservation organisations.

Front cover: Cotton grass by Mark Hamblin

The RSPB

UK Headquarters

The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL

Tel: 01767 680551

Northern Ireland Headquarters

Belvoir Park Forest, Belfast BT8 7QT

Tel: 028 9049 1547

Scotland Headquarters

Dunedin House, 25 Ravelston Terrace, Edinburgh EH4 3TP

Tel: 0131 311 6500

Wales Headquarters

Sutherland House, Castlebridge, Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff CF11 9AB

Tel: 029 2035 3000

www.rspb.org.uk

As a charity, the RSPB is dependent on the goodwill and financial

support of people like you. Please visit www.rspb.org.uk/supporting

or call 01767 680551 to find out more.