Cirl bunting
23 August 2010
A close relative of the more widespread and familiar yellowhammer, the Cirl bunting is a much scarcer bird in Britain, now restricted to parts of south Devon and a single site in Cornwall. It is far more common in southern Europe and is now starting to make a welcome comeback in England as a result of dedicated conservation efforts.
Cirl bunting ©Andy Hay(rspb-images.com)
Latin name: Emberiza cirlus
Population numbers:
Once widespread in southern England following colonisation in the eighteenth century, the Cirl bunting declined rapidly to just 118 pairs in 1989. Since then it has made an impressive recovery and there are now well over 800 pairs. Unfortunately, despite this encouraging increase, it has been slow to spread and recolonise new areas of countryside beyond its small existing breeding range.
Where to see and when:
This species can be seen all year round in south Devon as it rarely strays far from its breeding sites. It is present on a number of nature reserves in the South Hams area and is relatively easy to see from footpaths without risking disturbance to breeding birds. The rugged coast around Prawle Point, a few miles south of Kingsbridge, is one of the best places to see Cirl buntings, often alongside yellowhammers, allowing a rare chance to compare these similar species side by side.
What’s being done:
The fortunes of the Cirl bunting have been turned around by working with farmers to increase the amount of farmland managed sympathetically in south Devon. Low input mixed farming, for example under the Environmental Stewardship scheme, ensures that the bird has sufficient invertebrate food in the breeding season, weed seeds in the winter and suitable areas of scrub or overgrown hedgerows for nesting. In recent years a reintroduction project has been undertaken to help increase the bird’s range. Nestlings have been taken from south Devon to a site in south Cornwall where they are reared in captivity before being released.
More information:
