Cirl Buntings on
the Roseland
by the RSPB Cirl Bunting Project Officer,
Nick Tomalin
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Cirl Bunting Reintroduction Project Update
If you’re a Roseland resident and you’ve never heard of a cirl bunting, where have you been? The Cirl Bunting Reintroduction Project, a joint venture between the RSPB, Paignton Zoo, The National Trust and Natural England, has been doing exactly what is says on the tin, and reintroducing cirl buntings to the Roseland since 2006. Despite attempting to keep a low profile to protect the birds from disturbance, the project is possibly the Roseland’s worst kept secret, and I’m sure many of you will know something about what we’re up to!
The cirl bunting is a small, farmland bird, closely related to a yellowhammer, and about the size of a sparrow. In fact the females could easily be overlooked as a sparrow, but the males have bold yellow and black bands across their heads and an olive green wash on their yellow chests (see photos). In the UK, the species previously lived right across the south of England, up into the Midlands and parts of Wales. But in the latter half of last century the population declined rapidly and by 1989 an RSPB survey revealed just 118 pairs, found only in a narrow coastal strip between Exeter and Plymouth. The decline was associated with 
changes in farming practice, notably the switch from spring-sown to autumn-sown cereal crops, the removal of hedgerows, and the use of chemicals that killed off their invertebrate prey. In Cornwall, the species would have been present right up to the late-80s, and probably beyond. Some have suggested that cirl buntings are still surviving in isolated pockets in the county, but no evidence of these birds has been found.
The Roseland Peninsula was one of the last remaining locations for breeding cirl buntings outside of Devon, due to its mix of suitable habitats. Although some of this land was safeguarded for farmland birds under Countryside Stewardship, the population was probably too small to be able to sustain itself. Countryside Stewardship was the government’s agri-environmental scheme that provided grants to farmers who managed their land with the environment in mind. In Devon, the RSPB has been working with farmers since the 1989 survey to implement more suitable habitat management, with great success. By 2003, the population had reached 700 pairs – a five-fold increase in just 15 years! Most of this was on land managed under Countryside Stewardship. This has now been replaced by Environmental Stewardship, which should provide the same environmental benefits, but in a more targeted way.
Despite the population increase, there was not an increased distribution to match it, as the population simply consolidated its existing range. Partly this was down to the blocking effect of Plymouth and Exeter, and due to other developments leaving fragments of suitable habitat. For a bird that moves little more than a kilometre or two from where it was born, range expansion is not a rapid process, especially with little suitable habitat to move into. So the notion of reintroduction was suggested. This would act as a buffer for the species in case anything should happen to the vulnerable Devon population. A release site would need to provide everything a cirl bunting could need: food in summer and winter, and suitable nest sites – what we call the ‘Big Three’ for farmland birds. It would also need to be a place where the birds had been previously, and where they would be able to expand into new areas. Of all the sites scoured by the RSPB’s ‘property’ team, the Roseland came out on top!
A trial was carried out in Devon in 2004/2005 to test whether the method would be successful, and indeed it was. Consequently, the project began in Cornwall in 2006, with the first translocation. Chicks are removed under license from nests in Devon, and taken to the rearing facilities in Cornwall. Two dedicated aviculturalists from Paignton Zoo spend each day feeding the young birds between 6am and midnight. At first the birds go into brooders, which mimic nests and keep the birds warm and contained. Then they move to canary cages, where they can perch and flap, and develop muscle all the time. Whilst here, they learn to feed for themselves, and are promptly whisked away to the release site, where they spend a further week or so in outdoor aviaries becoming accustomed to their surroundings. This is called a ‘soft release’, as they are able to experience the conditions and learn the sights and sounds of their location before we release them.
Each bird is given a unique colour combination of leg rings so that we can identify each individual bird. This means that we can assess survival and dispersal by monitoring which birds are seen and where they go. We have also made some interesting findings from this work that would not have been possible without a ringed population. For example, it appears that pairs stay faithful each breeding season, assuming both birds survive the winter. We have also seen that older, more experienced birds are much more successful during the breeding season than the young birds. This is potentially another reason that productivity has been quite low, and hopefully we will begin to see this improve as more birds reach a mature age!
Last year was the fourth year of the project. Every year so far I have reported that wet weather has not helped the plight of these plucky little birds, despite the fact that released birds have been breeding on the Roseland Peninsula since 2007. In 2009 we had a considerably more productive breeding season, as there was more invertebrate food available for feeding chicks. Despite there being a similar number of breeding pairs to last year, the productivity went up three-fold, with at least 42 young birds fledging from Cornish nests.
Another cohort of chicks were translocated from Devon and reared in Cornwall. By the end of the season, 67 had been released into the Cornish countryside. When added to the young born in Cornish nests, the population had been boosted by over 100 young birds. We have continued to monitor these birds through winter, when they tend to move onto spring barley stubbles or patches of bird cover. Many of these areas have been put in place through the continued support from local farmers. Their knowledge and enthusiasm for farmland wildlife has ensured that a diverse range of flora and fauna will benefit from suitable management. Some farmers have now been offered financial support from Natural England for this work, and this will secure the future of cirl buntings in Cornwall.
After four years of releases there is still work to be done. We now have a population of breeding cirl buntings on the Roseland, but we need the number of pairs to increase if the species is going to survive here unaided. The next year or two will be critical if the birds are to establish themselves for good. After a better breeding season last year, things are looking positive for the species. With the continued support of the local community, and a dedicated team of staff and volunteers keeping a close eye on things, I hope to be able to report even more success for Cirl Buntings on the Roseland.
If anyone has any sightings, would like to commit to regular voluntary work, or simply wants more information, please feel free to contact me on 07702 779345 or at nick.tomalin@rspb.org.uk.
Pictures (Top to bottom): Male Cirl Bunting, Female Cirl Bunting. Photos by Nick Tomalin.
