Akkervogels

Chronic toxicity is the most important variable in predicting negative bird population trends associated with pesticides

This study attempted to: (1) establish an extensive database on what bird species are using agriculture, where they are found and how they are using agricultural areas; (2) analyze these data to determine if there are significant relationships between avian population abundance, agricultural intensity, and crop types; and (3) determine if there are negative population trends associated with pesticide use. I calculated six independent variables including agricultural intensity, percent herbicide use, percent insecticide use, acute toxicity, chronic toxicity, and an herbicide indirect parameter.

Sharp decline in farmland and woodland birds in Estonia in 2007-2010

Among the Estonian multispecies indices, the woodland bird index shows a steady increase until 2000, followed by a moderate negative trend in 2001-2006, and a sharp decline in 2007-2010. The farmland bird index largely follows the woodland bird index, but shows two distinctive declines in 1994-1996 and in 2007-2010. The species that contributed most to the 2007-2010 declines were Tringa totanus, Motacilla flava, Crex crex, Passer montanus, Motacilla alba, Columba palumbus, Delichon urbicum, Locustella naevia, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, Parus palustris, Loxia curvirostra, Sitta europaea, Parus cristatus, Dendrocopus major, Oriolus oriolus, Dendrocopus minor, Nucifraga caryocatactes, Parus montanus.

Scotland may become cuckoo's last refuge in UK

While the cuckoo Cuculus canorus is in serious decline south of the Border, new research shows that in Scotland the birds are becoming increasingly common. The future looks so bleak for the birds in England that some experts believe Scotland could eventually become their last refuge within the UK. An analysis of three years of bird sightings within 10km sq plots across the UK - for the British Trust for Ornithology's Bird Atlas 2007-11 - reveals cuckoos are thriving in Scotland, and in mass decline in England and Wales. And the latest BTO Breeding Bird Survey shows cuckoos struggling to survive in large swathes of the UK. It revealed a 60 per cent decline in cuckoos between 1995 and 2008 in England, a 37 per cent decline in Wales, but a 6 per cent increase in Scotland. Dawn Balmer, Bird Atlas co-ordinator with the BTO thinks cuckoos are growing in number in Scotland even faster than thought.
Experts have theories about the change. "One thought is that adult cuckoos like fairly big caterpillars and maybe the food supply is better in Scotland," said Balmer.

Het gaat de laatste jaren weer goed met de roodborsttapuit in Nederland

De broedbiotoop van de Roodborsttapuit bestaat uit redelijk open gebieden met een ruige vegetatie en verspreide opslag van struiken of bomen, zoals heidevelden, duinen en jonge bosaanplantingen. De soort broedt ook in ruige wegbermen en sloottaluds. Daarnaast vormen kleinschalige, extensief beheerde agrarische gebieden een belangrijk broedbiotoop. Het voedsel bestaat uit insecten, spinnen en wormen. Tussen de jaren zeventig van de vorige eeuw en 1990 ging de roodborsttapuit in aantal achteruit. Rond 1975 werd het aantal geschat op ongeveer 5000 paar, rond 1983 was dit nog maar 2000. De afname was het grootst in Midden-Nederland, Oost-Brabant, Limburg, Texel en de Achterhoek. De laatste jaren gaat het weer goed met de roodborsttapuit; ondanks het gegeven dat het areaal is afgenomen, groeit het aantal broedparen.

The abundance and species richness of wintering farmland birds is negatively affected by agricultural intensity

This study examined the effects of agricultural intensity, various farming practices, landscape composition and vegetation cover on the abundance and species richness of wintering farmland birds, assessed simultaneously across seven European regions. The abundance and species richness of wintering farmland birds were negatively affected by agricultural intensity. Of the 10 farming practices assessed, mechanical weeding and the amount of organic fertilizer applied negatively affected farmland birds, presumably due to reduced food availability on arable fields. More farmland birds were observed in areas with more stubble, pasture and green manure crops. Species richness was higher in areas with more pasture.

Die Großtrappe in Deutschland

Großtrappen Otis tarda gehören mit einer Körpermasse der Männchen von 8-18 kg zu den schwersten flugfähigen Vögeln der Erde. Sie sind kraftvolle und ausdauernde Flieger, die trotz ihres beachtlichen Gewichtes zügig vom Boden abheben können. Großtrappen besiedeln in ihrem gesamten Verbreitungsgebiet weiträumige, wenig zerschnittene, störungsarme Landschaften. Um 1800 lebte die Großtrappe in großen Beständen in vielen weiträumig landwirtschaftlich genutzten Gebieten Europas. Die erste Zählung der Großtrappen Deutschlands ergab 1939/40 in den heutigen Grenzen einen Bestand von 4100 Exemplaren. Sie lebten mit Ausnahmen einiger Tiere in Niedersachsen und Thüringen vor allem in Sachsen-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg/ Vorpommern und Sachsen. Im Jahr 1935 gab es noch einen Brutnachweis in Baden-Württemberg. Ab 1949 fehlt die Art im Thüringer Becken.

Ireland’s farmland birds on the Red List of the Birds of Conservation Concern

Of the 19 species listed on the Red List of the Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland (BoCCI) due to breeding population concerns, nine (Grey Partridge Perdix perdix, Quail Coturnix coturnix, Corncrake Crex crex, Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, Curlew Numenius arquata, Redshank Tringa totanus, Barn Owl Tyto alba, Twite Carduelis flavirostris and Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella) are dependent upon farmland habitats at some point during the course of the year. In addition to this, several other bird species that are dependent upon agricultural habitats appear on the BoCCI Amber List. The only two species (Corncrake and Curlew) on the IUCN Red List (species of global conservation concern) breeding in Ireland are both species associated with lowland farmland (IUCN, 2010). Also, the most recent regular breeding species to become extinct in Ireland, Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra, was a specialist lowland farmland bird, with breeding last recorded in 1992.

Das Rebhuhn ist in weiten Teilen Sachsens nicht mehr anzutreffen

Das Rebhuhn kam zu Beginn der 1980er Jahre noch nahezu flächendeckend im sächsischen Offenland vor. Bis Mitte der 1990er Jahre verringerte sich der Bestand um ca. 30 – 40 %. Nach 1995 setzte ein weiterer rasanter Rückgang ein. Heute ist das Rebhuhn in weiten Teilen Sachsens nicht mehr anzutreffen. Im Vergleich zum 19. Jahrhundert ist der aktuelle Bestand dieser Feldhühner auf 0,2 % abgesunken.
In Sachsen sind innerhalb weniger Jahre die Großtrappe Otis tarda (1994) und der Große Brachvogel Numenius arquata (1998) ausgestorben. Auch bei den Brutvorkommen von Steinkauz Athene noctua, Bekassine Gallinago gallinago, Kiebitz und Wiesenpieper Anthus pratensis gab es dramatische Bestandseinbrüche.

Staggering decline of farmland birds in Wales and the Westcountry since the mid-1990s

THE bird population of what is regarded as one of Wales’ wildlife havens has decreased dramatically, according to alarming new figures. A report by the Pembrokeshire Biodiversity Partnership shows starlings Sturnus vulgaris have decreased by 70%, yellowhammers Emberiza citrinella by 50% and skylarks Alauda arvensis by 33%. RSPB Cymru said starling numbers have decreased by 58% since 1994, and yellowhammers by 40%. Another two species giving “cause for concern” are corn buntings Miliaria calandra and turtledoves Streptopelia turtur, both of which no longer breed every year in Wales. Turtle doves and corn buntings are virtually non-existent now in Devon and Cornwall, figures published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have shown. Grahame Madge of the RSPB said: "It's a real desperate shame. We are working with farmers in the Westcountry to try and hang on to as many farmland species as possible. "The linnet Carduelis cannabina has declined by 32 per cent since 1995, and other declines in the region have included the yellowhammer, down 13 per cent, and a 24 per cent decrease in skylark numbers. "But possibly the most staggering decline, aside from the corn bunting and turtle dove, which are basically extinct in the Westcountry, is that of the cuckoo Cuculus canorus, down 73 per cent. "Most of the reductions occurred between the late-1970s and early 1990s, but numbers fell by more than 9 per cent in the five years to 2009, the statistics revealed.

Pheasants on Their Way Out in Iowa?

The last 10 years the Iowa Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) population continues to decline and it seems were on track to have this bird no longer exist in Iowa. The 2011 roadside count began today and I'm trying to stay optimistic about the numbers but I don't think it's going to be good at all. In 2001 our roadside count was at its lowest ever of 13 birds counted. 2010 it was at 15 birds, so in 10 years we have not seen really any growth at all. And from what I've seen this spring and summer, 2011 could be worse than 2001.