Cornish cirl buntings on the rise
28 October 2011
The fortunes of the cirl bunting in Cornwall are on the up after a record number of chicks were born this year following a successful reintroduction project involving Natural England, the RSPB, the National Trust, Paignton Zoo and the Zoological Society of London.
Funding was provided by the Countdown 2010 Biodiversity Action Fund.
The cirl bunting was once a widespread farmland bird across the region but had disappeared by the early 1990s. An ambitious re-introduction programme was put in place and between 2006 and 2011, 240 birds were hand reared by experts from Paignton Zoo before being released into the wild.
Natural England and the RSPB worked closely with farmers and landowners to set up Higher Level Stewardship agreements in the release area to provide sufficient food and breeding sites and the released birds have steadily established breeding populations. This year’s survey results show that the number of young successfully leaving their nests is the highest ever for the project and the buntings are beginning to expand their range.
Ian Carter, Natural England’s ornithologist said; “Reintroducing a small bird like the cirl bunting is a huge and complex task - involving supportive landowners, experts who have hand-reared the birds and scientists who monitor their progress after release. We’re encouraged that the birds that have been released have reared significant numbers of young, many of which we hope will reach adulthood and then go on to breed. The future of this rare songster looks brighter than it has for many years.”
The RSPB’s Project Officer, Nick Tomalin, thinks success is down to the availability of suitable habitat; ‘We always knew that the local habitat was good, but the farming community have been very supportive of the project, and many have managed parts of their land to benefit cirl buntings and other farmland birds. ‘In many cases, cirls have moved into areas where this work has occurred, and it’s great to see these farmers rewarded for all their efforts’.
The cirl buntings have also been living up to their old name, the ‘Village Bunting’, by nesting in suburban gardens and feeding around the village edges. Many of the local residents have been delighted to find such a rare species making visits to their gardens and food supplies.
The burgeoning population will continue to be monitored throughout the winter, but with strong support from the local community, landowners and residents, the outlook for these birds is more encouraging than it has been for decades.
