High-flying birds bucking the trend

It’s not all bad news when it comes to bird numbers – some species are on the up and up, as Charlie Elder reports

As indicators of the health of our natural world, birds rule the roost. Visible, vocal, meticulously monitored and extensively surveyed, we know more about the changing fortunes of our birds down the decades than any other animal group.

Regular reports paint a detailed picture of the ups and downs of species – and can make for dismal reading given declines in the number and distribution of so many familiar birds.

The most recent comprehensive study, The State of the UK’s Birds 2020, revealed that we have lost 19 million pairs of breeding birds since the late 1960s, and there are real concerns about plummeting populations of once-common species such as turtle doves, grey partridges, willow tits and lapwings.

However, there are a number of birds, from the jackdaw and nuthatch to the long-tailed tit and mute swan, which are bucking the trend and flying high, increasing in number and offering a glimmer of hope against a backdrop of biodiversity loss.

Species doing well tend to be generalists in nature, adaptable and able to make do. Specialist species are typically less suited to cope with the loss or change of habitats upon which they depend, while long-distance migrants run the gauntlet of challenges both at home and overseas.

Reasons for increases in species are not always clear, but most tell a story of reduced persecution, the availability of new nesting sites, the benefits of conservation measures and the ability to take advantage of new food sources – even our back garden bird table handouts.

Here are five good news stories – common and widespread birds which are on the up and up in the South West and country as a whole. Figures illustrating their rises in UK population are taken from The State of the UK’s Birds 2020.