Waterbirds in decline around Scots coast

SCOTLAND’S wintering waterbirds have suffered a significant decline around the nation’s coast, according to a new report.

The survey of waders wintering on the UK’S non-estuarine coast revealed declines in species including dunlin, curlew, redshank and turnstone, north of the Border.

The study was published by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) from work carried out by a network of hundreds of volunteer observers who walked thousands of miles of coastline.

It found that of 14 key species, only the sanderling appeared to have increased in abundance in Scotland since 1997/98.

The species in greatest decline over an 18-year period was the dunlin (-77 per cent), while the redshank (-50%), turnstone (-48%) and curlew (-28%) also fell significantly.

Other species in decline around Scotland’s coast include the lapwing, purple sandpiper and ringed plover.

Sanderlings, which bucked the trend, increased by 462%.

The species breeds in Greenland and migrates south for winter, with those stopping in Scotland thought to enjoy an advantage over others undertaking longer journeys as far as Africa.

The UK’S wetlands, estuaries and non-estuarine coast are of international importance for the numbers of non-breeding waterbirds that they support.

Volunteers in the study surveyed 5,699km of Scotland’s coastline.