Cirl Bunting - Conservation Measures Within England

Conservation Measures Within England

A very small Cirl Bunting population exists in South Devon in England.

Through its Countryside Stewardship Scheme and Environmental Stewardship, Natural England has various options to conserve the species:

• Allow stubbles to overwinter. Leave crops such as spring barley stubble untreated (no fertiliser, pesticide, or cultivation) until the end of the following March. This allows the Cirl Bunting to feed over the winter on the spilt grain and seeds of broad-leaved arable weeds like Fat Hen, Chickweed, and annual meadow grass Poa annua, which grow in the meantime. The loss of this old farming practice led to the species's decline.

• Maintain semi-improved or rough grassland and field margins, particularly tussocky grasses such as Cock's-foot. These provide an overwintering habitat for insects, which in turn provides food for the Cirl Bunting and their chicks.

• Sow barley-based wild bird seed mix crop. This crop has an open structure, allowing birds to forage.

• Delay spraying insecticides to provide invertebrate food for as long as possible.

• Leave hedgerows untrimmed for periods of time. This provides breeding areas and food.

A partnership between Natural England and the RSPB runs the "Cirl Bunting Project", part of a larger project called "Action for Birds".

Through the efforts of conservation organisations and landowners, the Cirl Bunting population has increased from 118 pairs in 1989 to 700 pairs in 2003. However, their range has not expanded.