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Bird Populations in Yorkshire and the Humber |
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Written by the Wanderlust Team
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Sunday, 22 June 2008 |
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Defra Bird Population Figures for the English Regions - 2008 Report
Bird populations are considered a good indicator of the broad state of wildlife and countryside because they occupy a wide range of habitats, they tend to be near or at the top of the food chain, and considerable long-term data on bird populations have been collected.
The key regional results are as follows: - In the West Midlands, the South West and the South East, the farmland bird population fell by more than 10 per cent. There was no significant change in any of the other English regions. his compares with an overall England decrease of 7 per cent over the same period.
- The largest increase in woodland bird populations between 1994 and 2006 was in the North West, which saw a rise of 32 per cent.There was also an increase of 19 per cent in the Yorkshire and the Humber region. There was a decrease of 19 per cent in the South East and 10 per cent in the South West, but little change in the remaining regions. This compares with an overall England decline of 7 per cent over the same period.
The population of all native birds, including farmland and woodland species in Yorkshire and the Humber showed a moderate rise, with the index increasing by 17% between 1994 and 2006, slightly above the national index. 45 of the 84 bird species increased by 10% or more, but there are now 3 times as many Buzzards and House Martins . Raven, Coot and Oystercatcher up by 150%. However, the poopulations of Rooks and Grey Partridge halved.
This increase in wild bird populations in the Yorkshire and Humber area is in contrast to earlier declines, previous reports suggested populations fell 21% between 1970 and 1994 compared with a fall of 8% for England as a whole over the same period.
These latest figures do not alter the fact that populations of wild birds, particularly farmland species, are in long term decline.
Defra has a useful page with reports and links: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/wildlife/wdbirdspop.htm .
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 23 July 2008 )
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