WHERE HAVE ALL THE FARM BIRDS GONE?

The 50th anniversary of Rachael Carson's book Silent Spring falls this September. That seminal book documented what then seemed like massive declines in bird populations. The silence Carson referred to came from fewer birds singing, due to the negative effects of pesticides like DDT on bird populations. Today the situation is actually far worse. Oliver Moore investigates

Farmland bird populations are considered indicators of overall flora and fauna health. They are at the lowest levels since records began across Europe, including in Ireland. Their numbers have reduced by almost half, down from 600 million in 1980 to just 303 million today.

(Photo Copyright Andy Bright)

Species declines since 1980 is stark: across Europe familiar farmland birds like Grey Partridge (–82%), Skylark (–46%) and Linnet (–62%) are rapidly declining. Corn Bunting, once abundant, has declined by 66% across Europe, and is now extinct in Ireland.

Ruud Foppen Chairman of the European Bird Census Council, when asked to comment on the figures, said “yes, this is a very sincere reduction of population size...the trends are robust and consistent over time and over space and this unfortunately means that they probably linger on for quite some while if we do not act immediately.”

The most recent data in Ireland - Birdwatch Ireland's annual Countryside Bird Survey Report - recorded the lowest ever levels for Yellowhammer, while others birds, such as the Skylark and Kestrel, have shown significant, long-term declines. From 2009 to 2010, a greater number of bird species went into decline, and some of the lowest ever populations were recorded for many bird species: The number of countryside bird species in decline in Ireland rose from eight to 13, according to the report. For 15 species including Stonechat, Long-tailed Tit and Meadow Pipit, 2010 was the lowest year ever recorded.

While 17 of the more common species showed population increases, this is a reduction on previous years: in 2009, 22 species were reported as increasing.

There have been consistent, overall declines for many bird species since the survey began. However 2010 was an especially tough year for bird populations, due to two unusually cold snaps. Winter of 2009/2010 was the coldest recorded since 1963. The following Winter, 2010/2011 was the coldest since records began.

Wren, Robin, Blackbird and Chaffinch have remained the most widespread species, with Rook being by far the most numerous species recorded. Starling, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Blackbird were also numerous. The Blackcap showed what the report describes as a “remarkable” increase of 500% since reporting began. In contrast, Grey Wagtail, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk were least numerous species recorded.

19 species in total are listed on the Red List of the Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland.

It is difficult to estimate the number of relatively common bird species in Ireland. For those at risk, more precise information is available. “For Corncrake, there are less than 150 singing males left in Ireland” according to Alex Copland of Bird Watch Ireland. “The Barn Owl is down to 300 pairs, Curlew, less than 200 pairs. It could be next to go extinct in Ireland”.

A decline of 90% of the Yellowhammer population over two decades was reported in 2007. This new 2010 report “showed a significant decline in the southeast region” for the Yellowhammer population.

The Countryside Bird Survey was initiated in 1998, to monitor the trends of common and widespread breeding bird species in the Republic of Ireland. This annual survey employs the efforts of close to 200 observers. 300 individual areas (squares) are studied each year across Ireland.

Though surveying birds from 1998 onwards, the Report points to earlier data on bird populations from 1968 onwards. This data shows that declines in breeding bird populations "coincided with a period of increased agricultural intensification. Similar declines occurred throughout Europe over the same period, and were attributed to agricultural intensification".

19 bird species are red-listed in Ireland, including Curlew, Corncrake and Yellowhammer

The population of Yellowhammers is down by at least 90% since the mid 1980s

Greatest bird population declines in 2010 were in Swift, Grey Wagtail, Kestrel and Greenfinch

There are less than 300 pairs of barn owls left in Ireland

2010 was the lowest recorded year for 15 bird species, including Long-tailed Tit and Meadow Pipit.

So why is this happening?

Research published in May by Alex Copland of BirdWatch Ireland and colleagues from UCC's School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, draws specific attention to Skylark decline on Irish farmlands.

The researchers pointed out that Skylarks are especially rare in the south and east of the country, “where the landscape tends to be dominated by intensive agricultural production”, they reveal, pointing to heavier machinery use, drainage of wetlands, higher stocking rates, land being ploughed up and re-seeded with single grass species, and more silage cutting.

What efforts have the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) made to arrest this development?

“Since the early 1990s, we have implemented successive agri-environment schemes... participation rates peaked at approx 60,000 participants in 2006. These schemes have raised awareness of farmland birds and other conservation issues among the farming community” DAFM said.

“Earlier versions of the schemes focused on environmental management of field boundaries such as hedgerows and the protection of other habitats on farms such as small areas of scrub and woodland. More recent versions of these schemes encouraged creation of habitats such as planting hedgerows and there was a specific measure called ‘LINNET’ (Land Invested in Nature, Natural Eco Tillage) to benefit seed eating birds such as Linnet over winter”

Then there are 19 compulsory good practice measures, called cross compliance, five of which specifically relate to protection of water, soil and biodiversity. There are also other compulsory practices to protect landscape features like hedgerows.

And yet, biodiversity targets are being missed across the EU, including in Ireland. Moreover, farmland bird species are going extinct and at historic, all time lows.

Copeland agrees with DAFM, however, that farming per se isn't the problem.“Most of our specialist farmland birds rely on farming to some extent or another.” The problem is intensive farming practices. “The obvious example here is the Corncrake. Corncrakes require tall vegetation during the entire breeding season - April to September - for nesting in, and to provide cover for flightless chicks and mounting adults. However, this cover also has to be open enough to allow the birds to move through it”.

He continues: “late-cut hay meadows, or late-grazed pastures, which would be a more unusual habitat, are perfect for them. If the grass where the Corncrake are nesting in is cut too early, for example for silage, nests and chicks can be destroyed or killed.”

He also points out that abandoned grasslands, after a few years, become unsuitable.

Instead, the middle option – neither intensive nor abandoned, is optimal. Unfortunately, “extensive grassland habitats in Ireland have become increasingly rare. Many of the species dependent upon them - Corncrake, breeding waders such as Curlew, Redshank and Snipe, Whinchat, Skylark are in decline.”

Another major issue for farmland bird biodiversity is tillage, or growing cereal crops, in the south and east of Ireland. A 2008 study, which overviewed all available studies in Ireland on crop cultivation and biodiversity, revealed that 15 of these 21 studies found negative impacts on all flora and fauna, including birds.

Quite why commercial tillage production in the south and east is so poor for birdlife in Ireland is still unclear. In the UK, tillage supports far greater numbers of farmland birds.

Importantly, increasing farmland bird biodiversity is not just about planting trees, hedgerows and having smaller fields – the kinds of measures DAFM have supported. While these measures are “typically associated with higher biodiversity” Copeland says, “in conservation planning we need to consider the needs of individual species rather than just biodiversity. Otherwise we would end up with only the habitats that hold lots of species, like woods, and with very few habitats that hold relatively few species, such as bogs. Simply planting hedges and trees is not a panacea to protecting biodiversity - in certain situations it can actually be damaging for biodiversity. Tailored measures to address specific conservation issues are needed.”

Almost half of the EU budget goes on the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. Increasingly, public goods and biodiversity are supposed to be included in payments. According to DAFM: “Current CAP discussions for the period 2014 – 2020 are again putting more focus on public goods and are introducing the concept of green payments for maintenance permanent pasture, crop diversification and establishment of ecological focus areas”.

Ruud Foppen, for his part, believes that CAP reform can make the difference, provided space is created for biodiversity: “This for instance can be achieved by designating a certain area or percentage of the land to be taken out of production and to manage that land for nature purposes. Not only by creating set aside, but also using field margins as biodiversity ‘safe havens’.”

Birdwatch Ireland, however, are worried because “recent EU Budget announcements have made it clear that decision makers plan to allocate less money to Pillar 2 which contains very valuable environmental payments”.

Without making space for biodiversity at “a sufficient magnitude” Foppen is worried that, as he put it bluntly, “our farmland birds will disappear almost completely.” And Spring will indeed be very silent then.

For more from Copland, see here
For organic farming and farmland bird populations, see here

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