England's birds receive a major funding boost

News from the RSPB site

The fortunes of birds relying on farmland in England, such as turtle dove, grey partridge and corn bunting, have been given a major boost today. Natural England has given the RSPB over £536,700 for three projects to help struggling farmland birds.

Farmland birds in England have declined more than any other group of bird in recent times. Of 40 species of bird on the red list of the UK’s Birds of Conservation Concern, over one third are reliant on farming. These birds were placed on the red list in 2002 either because of declines of more than half over the previous 25 years, or because of large historical declines.

The grants have been awarded under Natural England’s Countdown 2010 biodiversity action fund, which aims to help some of England’s most threatened wildlife.

Receiving the funding news, Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Conservation Director, said: “The declines of wildlife in England have been among the greatest of anywhere in Europe, and farmland species have suffered more than most.
“The RSPB has an excellent record of researching why farmland birds are declining and then putting in place recovery plans. The funding will give us the chance to put more birdsong back into the countryside.”

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