Research conducted in Scotland has highlighted the need for urgent action to transform the fortunes of one of the county’s fastest declining farmland birds, which is at risk following cuts to conservation spending.

Although the corn bunting once ranged throughout Britain, the bird is now rare in Scotland with only an estimated 800 breeding pairs remaining, and these confined to parts of the eastern lowlands and the Western Isles.  According to the RSPB, “Over a 20 year period an Aberdeenshire population of this multiple brooded, crop nesting bird declined by 91 per cent from 134 pairs to just 12.”

The conservation organisation last week published the results of a joint investigation conducted with Dr Adam Watson in the journal Ibis. The study showed that gradual changes in crop management, particularly an increase in field size and decrease in weed abundance, have reduced the availability of safe nesting sites and food sources corn buntings depend on.

Furthermore, as cereal crops have become less weeded, more corn buntings may now be nesting in grass silage fields where they are especially vulnerable to harvesting operations and changes in field size have reduced the prevalence of insect-rich field edge habitats and elevated song posts, such as fences, that males use when establishing and defending territories.

Across Europe, populations of a number of iconic farmland species have suffered sharp declines. Overall, farmland bird populations have experienced a decline of over 48 per cent since 1970.

Dr Watson, who conducted the Ibis study said, “When I first studied this population in 1989 it was thriving, and I saw winter flocks hundreds strong. Last summer we only found one pair, which failed to rear any chicks. To me in 2012, the familiar farmlands seem silent and empty. It is tragic.”

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Allan Perkins, RSPB Scotland Conservation Scientist commented, “Intensive crop management and removal of field boundaries, resulting in fewer weeds and the insects they support, together with earlier harvesting of cereals and mowing of grass has had a detrimental effect on the corn bunting.  This is a species that favours low-intensity farming and it is vital that such systems are preserved, or habitats replicated through agri-environment schemes.”

Charity calls for further support

A study published last year in the Journal of Applied Ecology demonstrated that agricultural grant schemes, when targeted effectively, had a positive impact on corn buntings. The RSPB itself has stimulated the revival of a number of threatened species around farmlands where the charity investigates the effects of more wildlife-friendly farming measures.

In January, RSPB’s conservation director Martin Harper Mr Harper revealed the effects that implementing agrienvironment options had on a Cambridge farm; measures introduced on the RSPB’s Hope Farm have created high-quality habitats, allowing wildlife to flourish, whilst keeping impacts on food production to a minimum, Harper said. By the beginning of the year, the farmland bird indicator on the farm had increased over 200 per cent since the RSPB took over management and other threatened species including butterflies, bumblebees, moths and fungi were also flourishing due to management changes.

Amy Corrigan, RSPB Scotland’s Agriculture and Rural Development Policy Officer, remained optimistic in the face of last week’s study. She said, “Thanks to good ecological research like this we know exactly what is needed to save the corn bunting in Scotland, and we have the agri-environment schemes and farmers capable of delivering it. However, we currently face the prospect of a lengthy gap in funding for agri-environment schemes due to ongoing negotiations in Europe on the CAP.

“A break in schemes would be extremely detrimental to conservation effort directed at this once common farmland bird. We hope the Scottish Government will demonstrate its commitment to addressing biodiversity declines, and indeed the livelihoods of those farmers working hard for nature, by ensuring schemes critical to the conservation of vulnerable species like corn bunting can continue during this period of financial uncertainty.”

Pressure on Scottish government to support threatened species

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on the 2020 Challenge for Scotland’s Biodiversity.  The government, which has demonstrated a commitment to improving the environment and supporting wildlife in the past, has “recognised the need to develop a conservation programme for priority farmland species in a parlous state,” according to Ms Corrigan. The RSPB is pushing for the corn bunting to be included in this list.

However, despite its history of supporting biodiversity drives, Stuart Housden, director of RSPB Scotland, warned on Monday that Scottish ministers risk undoing years of hard work in preserving farmland biodiversity.

The Guardian yesterday revealed that over the next three years cuts to environmental spending on farmland will amount to £25 million. Scotland started with amongst the lowest levels of spending on agri-environment schemes in the EU, but current plans would see the £47 million which went towards agri-environment projects in 2011 reduced to £38m by 2014, and this being inflicted alongside cuts to other conservation bodies in the country.

Housden warned that the decision by Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead to dock agri-environment spending whilst protecting direct subsidies to farmers could spark a reaction from the EU over a breach of European conservation directives.  

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