As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Saturday 30 March 2013

Good news for most Scottish bird species as numbers increase


The recent harsh winters in 2009 and 2010 may have also had an effect on some of our resident birds such as wrens and robins.

Index of abundance for Scottish terrestrial breeding birds, 1994 to 2011

March 2013. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has released the latest figures tracking the abundance of Scotland's terrestrial breeding birds.

Farmland and woodland birds up, upland birds down
Over the long term, the abundance of terrestrial breeding birds increased by 11% from 1994 to 2011. Farmland and woodland birds have increased (by 12% and 44% respectively) and upland birds have decreased by 11%.

2010 - 2011 mixed results
Between 2010 and 2011, the main findings show that the abundance of all-species, woodland, and farmland terrestrial breeding birds were unchanged overall. However, the upland bird index decreased by 8%. The reasons for changes are not known for certain. Some evidence points towards land use changes as a possible cause. The recent harsh winters in 2009 and 2010 may have also had an effect on some of our resident birds such as wrens and robins.


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