Natural England

A worrying decline in the number of Suffolk’s farmland birds appears to have been largely halted thanks to the actions of farmers and conservationists.

The most dramatic declines began almost three decades ago, and have gradually slowed since the early 1990s. Whilst some species have shown signs of recovery, others, such as the turtle dove, are still struggling, but can be helped by specific options available in Environmental Stewardship schemes.

Around 120 of the county’s farmers and conservation advisers attended a conference organised by Suffolk Agricultural Association and Natural England (supported by RSPB) at Trinity Park, Ipswich, on Tuesday 6 February. The delegates looked at how agri-environment schemes were helping reverse the decline in farmland birds and heard three local landowners passionately describe how they are helping farmland birds on their holdings.

David Barker, Conference Chairman, said: “There was a general feeling of optimism at the conference. There is huge potential for farmland birds but we need to get the funds for Environmental Stewardship schemes to deliver the increase in bird numbers. The conference proved that the partnership between farmers and conservation bodies is a huge success.”

Shaun Thomas, Natural England’s Regional Director in the East of England, said: “The farmland bird decline has largely halted and there are encouraging signs for the future, but still some way to go before we get real increases.

"The professional and enthusiastic spirit of the event was a tribute to the positive relationship between Natural England and both farmers and partner organisations. The combination of top level scientific input from the RSPB and BTO, an interesting update on the Environmental Stewardship schemes and three excellent farmer case studies from across Suffolk was very effective in getting the message across that continued progress in reversing farmland bird decline depends on us all working effectively together."