Natural England

Climate change is causing a number of widespread British birds to lay their eggs much earlier than 40 years ago, that’s just one of the trends revealed in the latest State of the UK’s Birds report – an annual publication produced by a coalition of conservation organisations looking at the fortunes of the UK’s bird populations.

Information from the British Trust for Ornithology’s Nest Record Scheme (incorporated in the State of the UK’s Birds report for the first time) shows that birds like the chaffinch are, on average, laying their eggs about a week earlier than they did in the mid 1960s. Information obtained for other species, such as blue and great tits, robins and swallows, shows a similar pattern.

The changes in laying dates recorded since the mid 1960s are believed to be in response to increasing temperatures triggered by climate change. In 1966, the average date for chaffinches laying their first egg was May 11, but by 2006 this date had moved forward to May 2. For robin, the average dates have moved from April 28 to April 22, in 2006.

Dr David Leech, organiser of the BTO’s Nest Record Scheme, said: “Every year a network of 500 BTO volunteers monitor 30,000 nests, providing an enormous wealth of information about the changes in nesting activities of many of our birds. Over time, this body of information reveals a fascinating insight into how wildlife is affected by environmental changes.”

The report, which is produced by a partnership of organisations, also shows that birds are impacted by climate change in other ways too.

Information from the British Trust for Ornithology shows that song thrushes rear fewer young during dry summers [note]. Song thrushes feed their chicks largely on earthworms which are much harder to find in drier ground. A graph combining rainfall in England and Wales with song thrush nesting success showed that the birds reared more young than any year since 2004 – another wet summer. Drier summers are an anticipated feature of climate change in the UK and the data indicates that this bird of conservation concern will struggle in future.

Each winter the UK’s food-rich estuaries are vital to the survival of internationally-important numbers of wading birds that arrive from northerly and easterly breeding grounds. Although the overall number of these birds increased by about 50 per cent up to the late 1990s, numbers have since started to decline. The declines have been particularly acute for several key species, including purple sandpipers, ringed plovers and dunlins. These waders have decreased by over 59, 13 and 21 per cent respectively between 1979/90 and 2004/05 and this decline is largely thought to be fuelled by birds wintering elsewhere in Europe where conditions are becoming more suitable. The report confirms that the dunlin, which used to be the UK’s most numerous wading bird in winter, is now at its lowest level since records began. Volunteers for the Wetland Bird Survey now count more knot than dunlin. However, in colder than average winters, the UK’s estuaries will remain crucial for birds escaping harsher conditions in continental Europe.

This year’s report also looks at the plight of the Balearic shearwater – the only Critically Endangered bird to regularly visit the UK. A study reveals that one in 10 of the world population of this dove-sized relative of the albatross visits UK inshore waters. Breeding around Majorca and the other Balearic islands, this bird migrates out of the Mediterranean to the Atlantic during the autumn. Research has shown that the birds are having to travel increasingly further north in search of food because of shifts in the distribution of fish driven by climate change.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Conservation Director, said: “This year’s report shows that climate change is with us already and from our gardens to our seas, birds are having to respond rapidly to climate change simply to survive. As often before - birds are acting like the canaries in a mine shaft and giving us early warning of dangerous change.”

Dr Tom Tew, Chief Scientist for Natural England, said: “The consistent declines in specialist bird species highlighted by this year's report indicate that the variety and richness of our countryside is being lost. This reflects the findings of Natural England's own State of the Natural Environment report. This loss is affecting many plants and animals. We urgently need to act to reverse the loss and fragmentation of important habitats if our wildlife is to stand any chance of adapting to climate change.”

Richard Hearn, Waterbird Monitoring Programme Manager at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, said: “The rate of redistribution of some waterbirds has been dramatic in recent years, but for some species we still know little about the extent to which decreases in numbers in the UK are due to redistribution to other parts of their range or real decreases in overall numbers. It is vital that we learn more about the extent and consequences of redistribution in order to ensure that these species are effectively conserved”.

Andy Douse, senior ornithologist with Scottish Natural Heritage, said: “This report highlights continuing problems for Scottish seabirds, such as guillemots, puffins and kittiwakes. There have been further declines in breeding success in 2007, as shown by the new Scottish seabird indicator.

“We know that this is almost certainly due to lower food availability, principally sandeels. We are also aware that changes in sandeel abundance are probably linked to climate change in the seas around the Scottish coastline. Sadly these changes in productivity are likely to mean fewer breeding birds and therefore continued decline in some key species that are so emblematic of Scotland's marine environment.”

Matt Murphy, Ornithologist for the Countryside Council for Wales, said: "This decrease of certain waders such as dunlin and ringed plover is also reflected in the Welsh wintering populations. Both have declined in our major estuaries such as the Severn and the Dee. Another effect of climate change is thought to be the spread of little egrets north along the Welsh coast over the last ten years.

“Climate change also seems to be affecting the pied flycatcher - an archetypal bird of Welsh oak woodlands. They appear to be breeding earlier across a number of sites and the worry is they may eventually breed so early, they are out of sync with their major food source of caterpillars.”

Professor Howard Platt, Chief Scientist with Northern Ireland Environment Agency said: “We are concerned about the dramatic reduction in overall duck numbers wintering on Lough Neagh - the UK's largest lake. We are funding some research to see if certain species are 'short stopping' in Europe because there are ice-free water bodies that would have been ice-bound before climate change.”

The State of the UK’s Birds 2007 report is produced by a coalition of three NGOs - the RSPB, the British Trust for Ornithology and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust – and the UK Government’s four statutory nature conservation agencies – the Countryside Council for Wales, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage.

The State of the UK’s Birds series of reports was first published in 2000.

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For further information and to arrange an interview, please contact:
Grahame Madge, RSPB press officer, on 01767 681577.
Out of hours, please telephone: 07702 196902 (mobile)
Jane Waghorn, WWT press officer, on 01453 891176 or 07920 810491
Paul Stancliffe, British Trust for Ornithology on: 01842 750050. Mobile: 07845 900559.
Beth Rose, Natural England press officer on: 07900 608052
Delyth Willis, CCW’s Regional PR Officer, on: 029 2077 2455 / 07881 506164 or d.willis@ccw.gov.uk
Calum Macfarlane SNH Press & Public Relations Manager. Tel. 01463 725020. Mob. 07770 814206
Northern Ireland Environment Agency Telephone 028 9054 0003 press.office@doeni.gov.uk

Photographs:
Photographs are available to download free of charge from the RSPB Images website. To download images, click on the hyperlink below and please enter the username and password when prompted.

Hyperlink:
http://www.rspb-images.com/respages/storysetsignon.aspx?key=ddf6dc59-6ca2-4e46-999c-430c3f5a7c50
User Name: gm_sukb07
Password: rspb
Please note these pictures are only to be used in conjunction with the State of the UK’s Birds story.

Broadcast-quality radio interviews:
To arrange an ISDN broadcast-quality radio interview with an RSPB spokesman please contact Grahame Madge at the RSPB press office.

Broadcast-quality footage:
Broadcast-quality Beta footage of some of the species mentioned in this release is available on request from the RSPB press office.
Please note this footage is only to be used in conjunction with the State of the UK’s birds 2007 story.

Sound clips
Sound clips of song thrush and chaffinch, are also available. These can be obtained as MP3 files by email, or via the RSPB’s ISDN line. Please contact Grahame Madge at the RSPB press office.

Editor's notes:

1. The Nest Record Scheme (NRS) gathers vital information on the productivity of the UK’s birds, using simple, standardised techniques. Nest record data are also used to investigate the causes of species-specific trends in breeding success. A species’ population size is dependent on survival rates, movements of individuals and levels of productivity. The NRS is able to provide the vital evidence needed to confirm whether a species in decline is encountering problems at the nesting stage.x) NRS data are analysed annually and the results are published in the ‘Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside’ report along with information on species’ abundance obtained through other BTO monitoring schemes.



2. Constant Effort site study for song thrushes. The BTO's Constant Effort ringing scheme monitors abundance, productivity and survival of common bird species. Each year ringers erect the same nets in the same locations for the same length of time on twelve occasions through the breeding season (May to August). Song Thrushes are caught on about 90 sites throughout Britain and Ireland. The number of young birds caught in 2007 was 7% higher than the average for the 25 years (since 1983) the scheme has been in operation. The CES is funded by a partnership of the BTO, JNCC and the ringers themselves.



3. The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) is the monitoring scheme for non-breeding waterbirds in the UK, which aims to provide the principal data for the conservation of their populations and wetland habitats. Around 3,000 volunteers participate in monthly counts at wetlands of all habitat types throughout the country. WeBS is a partnership between the British Trust for Ornithology, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (the last on behalf of Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Countryside Council for Wales and the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside (Northern Ireland), and the Environment and Heritage Service (Northern Ireland).



4. The State of the UK’s Birds 2007 report is the ninth in the State of the UK’s Birds report series.

The organisations involved:
The RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment. Nature is amazing - help us keep it that way. We belong to BirdLife International, the global partnership of bird conservation organisations.

The BTO is the UK’s leading bird research organisation. Over thirty thousand birdwatchers contribute to the BTO’s surveys. They collect information that forms the basis of conservation action in the UK. The BTO maintains a staff of 80 at its offices in Norfolk and Stirling, who analyse and publicise the results of project work. The BTO’s investigations are funded by government, industry and conservation organisations.

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) is a leading UK conservation organisation saving wetlands for wildlife and people across the world. WWT’s research department has organised national waterbird monitoring schemes for over 50 years.

The Countryside Council for Wales champions the environment and landscapes of Wales and its coastal waters as sources of natural and cultural riches, as a foundation for economic and social activity, and as a place for leisure and learning opportunities. We aim to make the environment a valued part of everyone’s life in Wales.

Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. We conserve and enhance the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it brings.

The aim of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency is to protect, conserve and promote the natural and built environment and to promote its appreciation for the benefit of present and future generations.

The task of Scottish Natural Heritage is to secure the conservation and enhancement of Scotland’s unique and precarious natural heritage – the wildlife, the habitats and the landscapes which have evolved in Scotland through the long partnership between people and nature.