By Conor
MacauleyBBC NI Agriculture & Environment Correspondent
21 August
2018
Declines
in iconic farmland birds like the yellowhammer can be reversed by sympathetic
farming, a study by a leading conservation charity has said.
And
farmers can get a payment for simple measures which will enhance their numbers.
The
brightly-coloured bird has been in huge decline in Northern Ireland due to the
diminishing crop sector.
This
means there is less suitable habitat and seed which they rely on for food.
But the
RSPB says a five-year study shows the collapse in numbers can be turned around.
It
surveyed five priority species - including the yellowhammer - on 33 farms in
County Down which signed up to agri-environment schemes.
They give
farmers a payment for measures which enhance biodiversity.
The results
were compared to 22 control farms which did not participate.
Participating
farmers planted wild bird cover; grew taller hedges and allowed field margins
of rough vegetation to provide cover and food.
The
survey results showed yellowhammer numbers increased by 78%. Linnets and tree
sparrows are also up.
Cereal
farmer Jack Kelly is involved in the project.
No comments:
Post a Comment