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British Agriculture Marketing Ltd

DEFRA/BTO Bird Population Figures

3/12/03

Introduction

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) published the results from their latest Breeding Birds Survey (1994-2002) today. These results are used by DEFRA as wildlife indicators, part of the Government’s biodiversity action plan.

The survey methodology is not questionable. But the graph produced to illustrate the results is misleading and incomplete. See below.

Population of wild birds: 1970-2002 United Kingdom

All species are usually plotted as a blue line (106 species).

Woodland species a green line (33).

Farmland species a red line (19) – danger signal.

This means that 54 species are missing.

The 54 missing species should be plotted as a yellow line. This line would be steeply climbing to balance out the red and green lines that are in decline.

So why is the yellow line missing?

Why is the yellow line missing?

The RSPB is a charity. Charities rely on voluntary donations and membership recruitment to fund their activities. They use professional direct marketing agencies to develop communications activity and recruit members.

In order to ‘attract’ members and donations, direct marketing activity has to highlight the ‘plight’ to consumers and communicate the ‘urgent need’ to do something to help. Otherwise, donors will not be encouraged to put their hands in their pocket. Charities are also competing with other charities for donations and members. This makes it important for the charity to get its message across to as many people as possible.

The RSPB is much more likely to use a graph that shows a sharp decline in bird populations than one that shows the population numbers going up.

So the yellow line gets left off.

The RSBP has developed a significant amount of direct marketing activity over the last decade and has successfully recruited over 1 million members. This is good news for conservation. However, this has resulted in the graph being widely publicized and it is commonly accepted as the standard approach. Many people accept its findings without questioning its validity. Including DEFRA.

What else is wrong?

Years ago, the RSPB, recognized that modern farming methods were damaging bird populations. This led to the classification of some bird species as ‘farmland’ (ie land use classification) and some by habitat (eg. woodland, wetland).

In other words, the BTO muddled up habitat and land use classifications. There is no ‘land use’ classification for urban areas.

Farming covers around 75% of UK land area. The other 25% is urban development (ie. towns and cities).

It is often difficult to determine whether a bird is a farmland or woodland species. Is a Jackdaw, a woodland or farmland species? I have a pair nesting in my chimney. But I’m not a farmer and I live in the middle of a village. I see lots of Buzzards on the edge of farmland, but they aren’t classified as farm birds. A Kestrel is.

Most of the UK’s ponds and wetland habitats are found on farmland.

This means that the farmland classification is misleading and should be revised.

We should have a land use classification or a habitat classification, not both together. The term farmland is too broad, as it covers agricultural crops as well as Cornish hedgerows and hill farms.

Why this bothers me?

Everyone points the finger at the farmer. They are blamed for polluting rivers, decline in bird populations and destruction of the countryside.

In 2000, English Heritage research, found that members valued farming for the exact opposite. Farmers protect our countryside. In Kent, the loss of farming was mourned by people in their 30’s as well as their 70’s. Their ‘garden of England’ had been destroyed by motorways and road building. The orchards have disappeared. Ordnance survey maps testify to this.

Just look at the whole of the South East. Without farming, the land is sold to property developers and the barns converted into executive homes or little business premises.

One Lincolnshire farmer, Nicholas Watts, looks after more birds than any RSPB member. He produces hundreds of tonnes of grain each year and then altruistically feeds over wintering birds each year.

So why do farmers put up with this?

Farmers are an easy target. They never respond to criticism – they don’t have the resources of large marketing departments and PR companies to keep throwing the comments back.

What is the consequence?

Farmers are blamed, the true story is never told.

Urban development is responsible for much greater destruction of our countryside than farmers today. Road building, housing estates, out-of-town supermarkets and even the domestic cat. What about climate change?

Cats kill millions of birds each year

In 2003, a domestic cat population of 9 million will have killed millions of little birds and small mammals. The Mammal Society, the only organization solely dedicated to study and conservation of all British mammals, estimated that cats brought home 92 million prey items in the period of their survey (1st April to 31st August) This included 57 million mammals, 27 million birds, and 5 million reptiles and amphibians.

Source: Predation of wildlife by domestic cats in Great Britain http://www.abdn.ac.yk/mammal/cat_predation.htm

Cars run over millions of animals each year

Common mammal species such as hedgehogs, badgers and hares might be declining and face local extinction in certain parts of Europe primarily due to rood casualties. In Britain, annual road casualties are estimated to account for the death of 100,000 foxes, 100,000 hedgehogs, 50,000 badgers and 30-50,000 deer.

http://abdn.ac.uk/mammal/road_deaths.htm

The domestic cat, slug pellets, garden weed killers are the true killers.

But the RSPB don’t publicise this. They would then be pointing the finger at their own membership base. RSPB members typically have an older age profile (the over 50’s), living in suburban areas, garden bird lovers, keen gardeners and more likely to own a cat.

If the BTO had a classification for urban birds, then we would be able to point the finger at some other culprits.

Global Issues

At the same time, many birds migrate. Climate change, droughts, warm summers and seafish stocks all have an impact on bird population levels. Many of the issues are still not even understood. But the RSPB does not focus on global wildlife issues. That’s more of the remit of other environment charities. RSPB focuses on issues close to home that its members can understand. This Spring, about 40,000 pairs of breeding Puffins turned up on the Farne Islands, Northumberland and simply disappeared again. Why was this?

To simply point the finger at farmers is completely missing the point. DEFRA always links everything to farming. It never seems to make the link to car usage, petrol consumption and oil companies. Or out-of-town shopping and supermarkets. Does anyone walk to the shops anymore? Possibly only in areas where there are still local shops.

For more information on Bird populations in relation to the Farne Islands, speak to Charles Cresswell on 01668 214 230, a keen conservationist and farmer.

Charles Cresswell is Chairman of The National Trusts Farne Island Management Advisory Committee, Vice President of the Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Chairman of the Farne Islands Advisory Committee and on the regional AONB committee.

Test the Logic Yourself

The following table lists the BTO species.

Try and work out which ones are the 19 farmland and 33 woodland species before you look at the next few tables.

 

List of species (in Taxonomic order)
	WATERBIRDS Red-throated Diver Little Grebe Great Crested Grebe Cormorant Grey Heron Mute Swan Greylag Goose Canada Goose Shelduck Mallard Tufted Duck Goosander RAPTORS Hen Harrier Sparrowhawk Buzzard Kestrel Merlin Hobby Peregrine Falcon GAMEBIRDS Red Grouse Red-legged Partridge Grey Partridge Pheasant Moorhen Coot WADERS Oystercatcher Ringed Plover Golden Plover Lapwing Snipe Curlew Woodcock Redshank Common Sandpiper NEAR PASSERINES Stock Dove Wood Pigeon Turtle Dove Collared Dove Cuckoo OWLS Barn Owl Little Owl Tawny Owl Long-eared Owl Nightjar Swift Kingfisher Green Woodpecker Great Spotted Woodpecker Lesser Spotted Woodpecker LARKS Woodlark Skylark Swallow Sand Martin House Martin Tree Pipit Meadow Pipit	Yellow Wagtail Grey Wagtail Pied Wagtail Dipper Dunnock Wren THRUSHES Robin Nightingale Redstart Whinchat Stonechat Wheatear Ring Ouzel Blackbird Song Thrush Mistle Thrush WARBLERS Grasshopper Warbler Sedge Warbler Reed Warbler Lesser Whitethroat Whitethroat Garden Warbler Blackcap Wood Warbler Chiffchaff Willow Warbler Goldcrest Spotted Flycatcher Pied Flycatcher TITS Long-tailed Tit Marsh Tit Willow Tit Coal Tit Blue Tit Great Tit Nuthatch Treecreeper CROWS Jay Magpie Jackdaw Rook Crow Raven Starling SPARROWS House Sparrow Tree Sparrow FINCHES Chaffinch Greenfinch Goldfinch Siskin Linnet Lesser Redpoll Bullfinch BUNTINGS Yellowhammer Reed Bunting Corn Bunting

 

Source: BTO website

 

 

 

 

Species Classification by Habitat and Land Use

 

Arctic Skua	Operation Seafarer, Seabird Colony Register and Seabird2000
Arctic Tern	Annual seabird monitoring index
Blackbird	CBC/BBS
Blackcap	CBC/BBS
Black-headed Gull	Operation Seafarer, Seabird Colony Register and Seabird2000 - coastal colonies only
Blue tit	CBC/BBS
Bullfinch	CBC/BBS
Buzzard	CBC/BBS
Carrion Crow	CBC/BBS
Chaffinch	CBC/BBS
Chiffchaff	CBC/BBS
Coal tit	CBC/BBS
Collared dove	CBC/BBS
Common Gull	Operation Seafarer, Seabird Colony Register and Seabird2000 - coastal colonies only
Common Sandpiper	Waterways Bird Survey
Common Tern	Annual seabird monitoring index
Coot	CBC/BBS
Cormorant	From Operation Seafarer, Seabird Colony Register and then Seabird Monitoring Programme
Corn bunting	CBC/BBS
Cuckoo	CBC/BBS
Curlew	CBC/BBS
Dartford Warbler	RBBP
Dipper	Waterways Bird Survey
Dunnock	CBC/BBS
Eider	Extrapolated from 1989
Fulmar	From Operation Seafarer, Seabird Colony Register and then Seabird Monitoring Programme
Gadwall	Rare Breeding Birds Panel
Gannet	From OS, SCR and S2000
Garden warbler	CBC/BBS
Goldcrest	CBC/BBS
Goldfinch	CBC/BBS
Goosander	Wetland Bird Survey
Great black-backed Gull	From Operation Seafarer, Seabird Colony Register and Seabird 2000 - coastal colonies only (inland only 0.5%)
Great crested Grebe	Extrapolated from 1990
Great Skua	From OS, SCR and S2000
Great spotted woodpecker	CBC/BBS
Great tit	CBC/BBS
Green woodpecker	CBC/BBS
Greenfinch	CBC/BBS
Grey Heron	Heronries Surveys
Greylag Goose - Hebridean	Greylag Goose Surveys
Grey Partridge	CBC/BBS
Grey Wagtail	Waterways Bird Survey
Guillemot	From Operation Seafarer, Seabird Colony Register and then Seabird Monitoring Programme
Hawfinch	County Bird Reports
Herring Gull	Operation Seafarer, Seabird Colony Register and Seabird2000 - coastal colonies only
House sparrow	CBC/BBS
Jackdaw	CBC/BBS
Jay	CBC/BBS
Kestrel	CBC/BBS
Kingfisher	Waterways Bird Survey
Kittiwake	From Operation Seafarer, Seabird Colony Register and then Seabird Monitoring Programme
Lapwing	CBC/BBS
Lesser black-backed Gull	Operation Seafarer, Seabird Colony Register and Seabird2000 - coastal colonies only
Lesser spotted woodpecker	CBC/BBS
Lesser whitethroat	CBC/BBS
Linnet	CBC/BBS
Little ringed Plover	RBBP
Little Tern	Annual seabird monitoring index
Long-tailed tit	CBC/BBS
Magpie	CBC/BBS
Mallard	CBC/BBS
Marsh tit	CBC/BBS
Meadow Pipit	CBC/BBS
Mistle thrush	CBC/BBS
Moorhen	CBC/BBS
Mute Swan	Wetland Bird Survey
Nightingale	County Bird Reports
Nuthatch	CBC/BBS
Peregrine	Peregrine Surveys
Pied Wagtail	CBC/BBS
Puffin	From Operation Seafarer, Seabird Colony Register and then Seabird Monitoring Programme
Red-brested Merganser	Wetland Bird Survey
Red Grouse	Game bag
Lesser Redpoll	CBC/BBS
Redstart	CBC/BBS
Reed bunting	CBC/BBS
Reed Warbler	CBC/BBS
Robin	CBC/BBS
Rook	Rook Surveys
Sandwich Tern	From Operation Seafarer, Seabird Colony Register and then Seabird Monitoring Programme
Sedge Warbler	CBC/BBS
Shag	From Operation Seafarer, Seabird Colony Register and then Seabird Monitoring Programme
Shelduck	Extrapolated from 1990
Skylark	CBC/BBS
Song thrush	CBC/BBS
Sparrowhawk	CBC/BBS
Spotted flycatcher	CBC/BBS
Starling	CBC/BBS
Stock Dove	CBC/BBS
Swallow	CBC/BBS
Tawny owl	CBC/BBS
Tree pipit	CBC/BBS
Tree Sparrow	CBC/BBS
Treecreeper	CBC/BBS
Tufted Duck	Waterways Bird Survey
Turtle dove	CBC/BBS
Whimbrel	Extrapolated from 1992
Whitethroat	CBC/BBS
Willow tit