ISSN 1393 – 6670 N A T I O N A L P A R K S A N D W I L D L I F E S ERVICE COUNTRYSIDE BIRD SURVEY: STATUS AND TRENDS OF COMMON AND WIDESPREAD BREEDING BIRDS 1998-2016 Lesley Lewis, Dick Coombes, Brian Burke, John O’Halloran, Alyn Walsh, David Tierney and Sinéad Cummins I R I S H W I L D L I F E M ANUAL S 115 National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) commissions a range of reports from external contractors to provide scientific evidence and advice to assist it in its duties. The Irish Wildlife Manuals series serves as a record of work carried out or commissioned by NPWS, and is one means by which it disseminates scientific information. Others include scientific publications in peer reviewed journals. The views and recommendations presented in this report are not necessarily those of NPWS and should, therefore, not be attributed to NPWS. Front cover, small photographs from top row: Coastal heath, Howth Head, Co. Dublin, Maurice Eakin; Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris, Eddie Dunne, NPWS Image Library; Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia, Brian Nelson; Puffin Fratercula arctica, Mike Brown, NPWS Image Library; Long Range and Upper Lake, Killarney National Park, NPWS Image Library; Limestone pavement, Bricklieve Mountains, Co. Sligo, Andy Bleasdale; Meadow Saffron Colchicum autumnale, Lorcan Scott; Barn Owl Tyto alba, Mike Brown, NPWS Image Library; A deep water fly trap anemone Phelliactis sp., Yvonne Leahy; Violet Crystalwort Riccia huebeneriana, Robert Thompson Main photograph: Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella, Dick Coombes Countryside Bird Survey: Status and trends of Common and Widespread Breeding Birds 1998-2016 Version 1.1 Lesley Lewis1, Dick Coombes1, Brian Burke1, John O’Halloran2, Alyn Walsh3, David Tierney3 and Sinéad Cummins3 1Birdwatch Ireland, Bulford Campus, Kilcoole, Co Wicklow 2University College Cork 3National Parks & Wildlife Service, 90 North King Street, Dublin 7 Keywords: Ireland, breeding birds, bird survey, population estimates, trends, bird breeding distribution Lewis, L. J., Coombes, D., Burke, B., O’Halloran, J., Walsh, A., Tierney, T. D. & Cummins, S. (2019) Countryside Bird Survey: Status and trends of common and widespread breeding birds 1998-2016. Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 115. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Ireland. The NPWS Project Officer for this report was: Sinéad Cummins, [email protected] This IWM was edited by Sinéad Cummins and Brian Nelson ISSN 1393 – 6670 An tSeirbhís Páirceanna Náisiúnta agus Fiadhúlra 2019 National Parks and Wildlife Service 2019 An Roinn Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta, 90 Sráid an Rí Thuaidh, Margadh na Feirme, Baile Átha Cliath 7, D07N7CV Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, 90 North King Street, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 N7CV Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... ii 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background to surveying countryside birds in Ireland ............................................................. 1 1.2 Background to the Countryside Bird Survey (CBS).................................................................... 1 1.3 Species covered by CBS ................................................................................................................ 1 1.4 How CBS data are used ................................................................................................................ 2 2 Methods .................................................................................................................................................. 3 2.1 Data collection ............................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.1 CBS survey design .................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.2 Field survey methods ............................................................................................................... 4 2.1.3 Bird Atlas 2007-2011 ................................................................................................................. 4 2.2 Data analyses and interpretation ................................................................................................. 4 2.2.1 Trends in abundance ................................................................................................................ 4 2.2.2 Population estimates ................................................................................................................ 5 2.2.3 Trends in breeding distribution ............................................................................................... 5 2.2.4 Pressures and threats ................................................................................................................ 6 3 Species accounts ..................................................................................................................................... 7 3.1 Layout of species accounts ........................................................................................................... 7 3.1.1 Notes on interpretation ............................................................................................................ 9 3.2 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus .......................................................................................................10 3.3 Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus ......................................................................................................12 3.4 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus .............................................................................................................14 3.5 Stock Dove Columba oenas ...........................................................................................................16 3.6 Woodpigeon Columba palumbus .................................................................................................18 3.7 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto ............................................................................................20 3.8 Cuckoo Cuculus canorus ..............................................................................................................22 3.9 Swift Apus apus ............................................................................................................................24 3.10 Magpie Pica pica ..........................................................................................................................26 3.11 Jackdaw Corvus monedula ...........................................................................................................28 3.12 Rook Corvus frugilegus ................................................................................................................30 3.13 Hooded Crow Corvus corone cornix ............................................................................................32 3.14 Raven Corvus corax ......................................................................................................................34 3.15 Goldcrest Regulus regulus ...........................................................................................................36 3.16 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus .........................................................................................................38 3.17 Great Tit Parus major ...................................................................................................................40 3.18 Coal Tit Periparus ater ..................................................................................................................42 3.19 Skylark Alauda arvensis ...............................................................................................................44 3.20 Sand Martin Riparia riparia .........................................................................................................46 3.21 Swallow Hirundo rustica..............................................................................................................48 3.22 House Martin Delichon urbicum.................................................................................................. 50 3.23 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus ............................................................................................. 52 3.24 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita .................................................................................................. 54 3.25 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus ....................................................................................... 56 3.26 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla............................................................................................................ 58 3.27 Whitethroat Sylvia communis ...................................................................................................... 60 3.28 Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia ...................................................................................... 62 3.29 Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus ...............................................................................