Category Archives: Birds
Fish discards banned – but what’s the catch?
Fish discards banned – but what’s the catch? This post is by Katherine Maltby, an MBiolSci Biology with Conservation and Biodiversity student at the University of Sheffield. Her research interests span marine ecology and fisheries management, with a particular focus … Continue reading
Greening the Common Agricultural Policy: MEPs vote on environmental measures
As part of the wider EU budget review for the period 2014-2020, the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has been under scrutiny over the past two years. In its current state, the CAP accounts for 40% of the EU budget, … Continue reading
Environmental Stewardship and farmland birds: the evidence base
Declines in biodiversity have been observed across many habitats in the UK over recent decades. This is especially true in farmland habitats. Changes in practices have led to huge increases in productivity in farms, but this has come at the … Continue reading
Is this 'Bird Armageddon'?
Since 1966 UK bird population has decline by 44 million which amounts to just under a million birds a year (over 45 years), which is dismal November news indeed. Yesterday the RSPB published their most extensive survey of the UK’s … Continue reading
Defra to research options to reduce impact of buzzard predation on gamebirds
Conservationists have reacted angrily to plans by Defra to investigate possible measures to keep buzzards from targeting game birds. According to the RSPB, Defra is considering options including taking buzzards into captivity and destroying nests in order to protect young … Continue reading
Do we need birds?
A conference at the University of Leicester in April next year will set out to explore this question, examining the importance of birds in the functioning of ecosystems. It will also explore the cultural services that birds provide and consider … Continue reading
Wild bird populations: farmland birds in England 2009
From the Society of Biology’s Science Policy weekly news update: Key results • The unsmoothed farmland bird population index for England, covering 19 species, decreased by 5 per cent between 2008 and 2009. The index is now at its lowest … Continue reading
Estimating Bird Population Size Using Bird Song – BES Research
New research published online today in the British Ecological Society’s Journal of Applied Ecology offers a way to more accurately estimate the size of bird populations using bird song. The technique could offer a way to assess the numbers of … Continue reading
New Indicator of Climate Change’s Impact on Bird Populations
To date, few indicators have been developed that summarise the impacts of climate change on multiple species over large areas of land. Such an indicator is much desired by policy-makers, who want to be able to see the potential impacts … Continue reading
Yellow Wagtail Populations Hit By Poor Soil Quality
Recent research has shown that the decline in yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava flavissima) populations may be partly attributed to reduced soil penetrability. Yellow wagtail populations declined by 65% between 1972 and 2006, resulting in the species being placed on the … Continue reading