Harsh winter and Beast from the East hit Scotland’s woodland birds
Severe winter weather and the Beast from the East have hit populations of some of Scotland’s best known birds, new official figures suggest.
The latest report on the abundance of Scottish terrestrial breeding birds shows woodland species fell by an average of 12 per cent between 2017 and 2018.
Extreme weather, including the infamous Arctic blast in February and March 2018, is thought to be a factor in the short-term decline, as harsh conditions are known to affect over-winter survival for some resident birds – including woodland species.
Wren, bullfinch and goldcrest were most badly affected, while robin, great spotted woodpecker, treecreeper and lesser redpoll experienced smaller drops.
This is despite an overall rise in woodland birds of 58 per cent since 1994.
Chiffchaff, great spotted woodpecker, blackcap, great tit, bullfinch, lesser redpoll and tree pipit were some of the species on the rise.
Numbers of farmland birds remained stable from 2017 to 2018, though the long-term trend shows a 12 per cent upswing in species such as goldfinch, whitethroat and reed bunting.
Upland birds were also largely unchanged in the most recent surveys, but have dropped 15 per cent over the past 25 years.
Populations of five species – dotterel, curlew, black grouse, hooded crow and common sandpiper – are down by more than 50 per cent.
Experts say long-term changes in upland birds have been driven by a number of factors, including climate change and loss of habitat.
The annual report, from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), uses survey data provided by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).
SNH ornithologist Simon
Cohen said: “Over the longterm many of our woodland birds have been thriving as tree cover in Scotland has increased, so it’s striking to note the recent dip in the fortunes of this group.
“Winter can be a tough time for birds and it’s likely that the freezing temperatures and snow we experienced during the Beast from the East last year had a negative impact on many species.
“Interestingly, others such as great tit, blue tit and coal tit seem unaffected and it’s possible that they have benefited from garden feeding.
“People can do their bit to help wildlife during the colder months by putting out extra food and providing shelter in their gardens over winter.”
Dr Chris Wernham, head of BTO Scotland, said: “It is fascinating to see the short-term decline of many resident species, likely as a result of the ‘Beast from the East’, in the context of long-term population change.”
He added: “The ongoing declineofuplandbirds,including waders, is concerning. We hope that our programme of research, combined with even better monitoring in the uplands, will add to the pool of necessary evidence to allow all stakeholders to together target and implement effective conservation measures.”