New bunting family is cause for celebration

News from the RSPB site

A bird with a troubled 200-year history in the UK is causing a stir by breeding in a new county for the first time in around 15 years.

The cirl bunting, whose name derives from a mixture of Italian and Old English and translates as 'plump and chirpy', was re-introduced to Cornwall through a pioneering project last summer.

The birds were brought back from the brink in the UK thanks to the efforts of farmers and conservationists, after the population declined to just 118 pairs in the late 1980s and the species was confined to just a narrow strip of south Devon.

Now a partnership, bringing together experts from the RSPB, Paignton Zoo, Natural England and the National Trust, is celebrating its success in starting to bring the birds back to more of the UK.

RSPB conservation director, Mark Avery said: 'Many individuals and organisations are working together to put wildlife back into the countryside - this news will encourage us all to do even more! It's great to work with farmers to help make the Cornish countryside richer for wildlife.'

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