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The Status of the Cirl Bunting in the UK in 2009 Andrew Stanbury, Mary Davies, Phil Grice, Richard Gregory and Simon Wotton

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The Status of the Cirl Bunting in the UK in 2009 Andrew Stanbury, Mary Davies, Phil Grice, Richard Gregory and Simon Wotton The status of the Cirl Bunting in the UK in 2009 Andrew Stanbury, Mary Davies, Phil Grice, Richard Gregory and Simon Wotton Abstract A survey of breeding Cirl Buntings Emberiza cirlus in the United Kingdom in 2009 recorded an estimated 862 territories (95% confidence limits 785–975), in 136 occupied tetrads. These were confined largely to south Devon, but a small population now exists in Cornwall as a result of an ongoing reintroduction project. From the lows of the 1980s, the UK Cirl Bunting population continues to recover, in terms of both abundance and distribution. Between 2003 and 2009, the population estimate increased by 24% and the number of occupied tetrads by 15%. However, there is little evidence to suggest that the species is naturally recolonising areas beyond its core range in south Devon. Further work will evaluate recent trends in relation to agri-environment scheme delivery. he Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus is a respectively (Sitters 1985; Evans 1992). By scarce and localised breeding bird in 1989, Cirl Buntings were confined largely to Tthe UK whose population has seen south Devon. This collapse in population was changing fortunes over the last two centuries. probably due to the decline in traditional The bird is resident in the UK, but the popu- mixed-farming practices leading, in partic- lation is at the northern edge of the species’ ular, to the loss of invertebrate-rich grass- global range, which is largely confined to lands and weed-rich overwinter stubbles, southern Europe. The Cirl Bunting was not which are known to be key foraging habitats discovered in the UK until 1800, when for the species (Evans & Smith 1994; Evans et Colonel Montagu recorded birds at Kings- al. 1997). bridge in Devon (Holloway 1996). Following In 1995, the Cirl Bunting was included in this, the species appears to have gone through the list of priority species in the UK Biodiver- a period of expansion. A population zenith sity Action Plan (BAP), and the RSPB and occurred between the late 1800s and the English Nature (now Natural England) 1930s, when the bird was found in 39 coun- launched a species recovery project. Since ties as far north as north Wales. This expan- then, there have been encouraging signs of sion was probably fuelled by both a recovery. A national survey in 1998 estimated continental influx and successful breeding in 453 (95% confidence limits 415–504) terri - Britain (Evans 1997). tories, although the birds remained confined Having once been widespread in southern to south Devon (Wotton et al. 2000). England and Wales, Cirl Buntings then suf- Another national survey, in 2003, estimated fered a steady decline, a trend that became the population at 697 (95% confidence limits more pronounced during the 1970s (Sitters 645–770) territories (Wotton et al. 2004). 1982). National surveys of the species con- This was a significant landmark because it ducted in 1982 and 1989 gave population meant that the UK BAP target for 2003 (550 estimates of just 167 and 118 territories territories – UK Biodiversity Group 1999) 702 © British Birds 103 • December 2010 • 702–711 The status of the Cirl Bunting in the UK in 2009 had been exceeded by nearly 150 territories. Despite the recent population recovery, Most of the increase occurred within the core the Cirl Bunting remains on the Red list of breeding areas, with the population showing Birds of Conservation Concern in the UK only very limited signs of range expansion. (Eaton et al. 2009). One of the UK BAP Conservation action for the species has targets seeks to ensure a wider geographical focused on delivering its year-round habitat spread of the species by re-establishing popu- requirements through bespoke prescriptions lations outside their south Devon range. In within agri-environment schemes. Indeed, 2003, a partnership project involving the the recovery of the Cirl Bunting has rightly RSPB, Natural England, the National Trust been celebrated as a success story for the and Paignton Zoo (with veterinary support Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS), from the Zoological Society of London) was with the species showing significantly higher launched to re-establish a population in increases on CSS land (146%) compared southwest Cornwall. Since 2006, young Cirl with non-CSS land (58%) between 1992 and Bunting chicks have been collected under 2003 (Wotton & Peach 2008). However, CSS licence from core areas in south Devon and was superseded by Environmental Steward- hand-reared by trained aviculturists, with the ship (ES) in 2005 and concerns have been aim of releasing a minimum of 60 birds each raised over whether the new scheme will be year at the release site. The final year of these as effective as its predecessor at conserving releases is planned for 2011 (Cath Jeffs pers. Cirl Buntings. comm.). Monitoring at the release site will The Cirl Bunting has been used as a flag- continue, to establish whether the population ship species to promote environmentally sen- becomes self-sustaining. sitive farming practices within south Devon, The objectives of the 2009 survey were as with the aim of conserving a range of follows: wildlife. Recent research has shown that agri- 1. to obtain a revised estimate of the abun- environment scheme prescriptions targeted dance and distribution of the Cirl Bunting at Cirl Buntings also provide benefits for by means of a full population census; and plants and animals more generally (Michael 2. to investigate the effectiveness of agri- Macdonald in prep.). environment schemes (both CSS and ES) ) rspb-images.com ( Andy Hay 388. Male Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus, Devon, July 2008. British Birds 103 • December 2010 • 702–711 703 Stanbury et al. in conserving the Cirl Bunting (and other east Cornwall, north Devon, Dorset, the Isle high-priority farmland birds) in south of Wight and the Mendips (Somerset). Addi- Devon. tional outlying areas in the Channel Islands This paper reports on the results of the were not covered, as the species no longer UK population census. Further papers will breeds there (Michael Dryden pers. comm.). assess the effectiveness of agri-environment schemes in delivering the recovery of priority Field methods farmland birds in south Devon. The survey followed the same methods used for censusing Cirl Buntings since 1989. Each Methods tetrad was visited twice during the breeding Survey area season. The first visit was carried out The survey area was defined on a tetrad (2 between the beginning of April and the km x 2 km square) basis. All tetrads occupied middle of June, and the second between the by Cirl Buntings during the previous middle of June and the end of August, with a national survey, in 2003, together with any minimum of two weeks between each visit. additional squares in which the species had Surveys were conducted almost entirely been recorded subsequently, provided a ‘core during the morning. Tetrads were covered by area’ of 145 tetrads in south and east Devon. walking all public rights of way (including all All core squares were surveyed. In addition, a roads and footpaths), and areas of public ‘buffer’ area, defined as the 149 tetrads adja- open access. Singing Cirl Buntings are cent to those in the ‘core’, was surveyed to audible for up to 500 m (Gilbert et al. 1998), assess potential range expansion (fig. 1). The which means that the majority of tetrads re-established population in Cornwall was could be covered using this method. Access to covered in the same manner, with four ‘core’ private land was organised in some cases, but tetrads and 12 ‘buffer’ tetrads surveyed. this was very rarely necessary. RSPB staff Since 2003, there have been a number of conducted the majority of the fieldwork, but sightings reported from elsewhere in volunteers surveyed 42 tetrads. southern England. The same core/buffer- As in the 2003 survey (Wotton et al. tetrad selection process was used and an 2004), the following priority farmland bird additional 36 tetrads were surveyed in south- species were also recorded: Grey Partridge Fig. 1. The core survey area in 2009, with ‘core’ tetrads shown in blue and ‘buffer’ tetrads in red. The inset map shows the full extent of survey coverage in southern England. 704 British Birds 103 • December 2010 • 702–711 The status of the Cirl Bunting in the UK in 2009 ) rspb-images.com ( Andy Hay 389. A typical mixed-farming landscape in south Devon, with spring-sown barley, low-intensity grasslands and scrub, which provides year-round habitat for Cirl Buntings Emberiza cirlus (July 2007). Perdix perdix, Common Kestrel Falco tinnun- Evans (1992) found that conducting culus, Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, four visits during the breeding season Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur, Grasshopper located almost all (99%) of the territories Warbler Locustella naevia, Linnet Carduelis present. However, it is possible to estimate cannabina, Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella the number of territories that may have and Reed Bunting E. schoeniclus. These data been missed in tetrads surveyed only twice are presented in a separate paper (Stanbury by using a correction factor derived from et al. 2010). a sample of tetrads visited four times. In the 2003 survey, a stratified random Data analysis and population sample of 25 core tetrads and 16 buffer estimation tetrads was visited four times, 24 of which The tetrads surveyed in the core and buffer were occupied (Wotton et al. 2004). From areas were assumed to cover the entire this sample, the proportion of territories breeding range of the Cirl Bunting. Field found after the first two visits was calcu- observations were analysed to produce a lated and used as a correction factor. In maximum and minimum number of territo- 2009, owing to the limited resources avail- ries within each tetrad, based on the interpre- able and the increased survey area to tation of breeding activity described in cover, each tetrad was visited only twice, Gibbons et al.
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