STATISTICAL RELEASE
Date: 22 May 2008
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Regional wild bird indicators for the English regions: 1994-2006
Summary
This statistical release provides updated figures for bird populations in the English Government Office Regions, covering farmland, woodland and all native birds. Between 1994 and 2006, the population index of farmland birds showed a decline of more than 10 per cent in three regions; the South West, the South East and the West Midlands. In the East of England region the rate of decline was the same as the national level (7% decline). Farmland birds in northern regions saw a small increase in their population.
There is a similar north-south pattern in the changes between 1994 and 2006 in the populations of woodland birds, which showed a decline in the South West and the South East regions, but an increase in the East Midland, North West, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber. There was little or no change in the remaining regions.
The population index of all native birds increased in the Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West and the North East between 1994 and 2006, whilst there was little change in the rest of England.
These indicators are based on the Breeding Bird Survey run by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), which provides comprehensive information on the medium term changes in bird populations across the UK. The changes shown by the regional indicators for 1994 to 2006 need to be interpreted in the light of the long-term decline in the populations of farmland and woodland birds apparent from the national indicators.
The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) monitors terrestrial birds throughout the UK to provide information that underpins the conservation of species and habitats. The BBS is organised by the BTO on behalf of BTO, Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Key results
Farmland species
- In the West Midlands, the South West and the South East, the farmland bird population fell by more than 10 per cent between 1994 and 2006. There was no significant change in any of the other English regions. This compares with an overall England decrease of 7 per cent over the same period.
Woodland species
- 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.
All native bird species
The comparisons between regions can be difficult to interpret because all-species indicators of regional wild bird populations cover a wide range of different species in each region.
- In most regions, there was little change in the all-species indicator, the exceptions being the North East (+14%) , North West (+23%), and Yorkshire and the Humber (+17%) where the indices rose significantly over the period 1994 to 2006. This compares with an overall England increase of 6 per cent over the same period.
The full report is available on the Defra website in the e-Digest of environmental statistics at:
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/wildlife/research/rwbi.htm
The overall change in the England indicator is not in any technical sense an average of the changes in the individual regional indicators, because there are differences in the species composition of the indices in some of the regions.
End
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Page published: 22 May 2008