Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- PART I FACTORS DRIVING CHANGES IN WILDLIFE
- PART II CONSERVATION IN ACTION
- PART III THE CASE HISTORIES
- 15 Mammals in the twentieth century
- 16 Bats
- 17 State of bird populations in Britain and Ireland
- 18 The conservation of the Grey Partridge
- 19 Reptiles
- 20 Amphibians
- 21 Freshwater fishes: a declining resource
- 22 Riverflies
- 23 Bumblebees
- 24 Butterflies
- 25 Moths
- 26 Dragonflies (Odonata) in Britain and Ireland
- 27 Flies, beetles and bees, wasps and ants (Diptera, Coleoptera and aculeate Hymenoptera)
- 28 Hemiptera
- 29 Grasshoppers, crickets and allied insects
- 30 Aerial insect biomass: trends from long-term monitoring
- 31 Other invertebrates
- 32 Land and freshwater molluscs
- 33 The seashore
- 34 The offshore waters
- 35 Plants
- 36 Conclusion: what is the likely future for the wildlife in Britain and Ireland?
- Glossary
- Name index
- Subject index
- Plate section
- References
17 - State of bird populations in Britain and Ireland
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2012
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Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- PART I FACTORS DRIVING CHANGES IN WILDLIFE
- PART II CONSERVATION IN ACTION
- PART III THE CASE HISTORIES
- 15 Mammals in the twentieth century
- 16 Bats
- 17 State of bird populations in Britain and Ireland
- 18 The conservation of the Grey Partridge
- 19 Reptiles
- 20 Amphibians
- 21 Freshwater fishes: a declining resource
- 22 Riverflies
- 23 Bumblebees
- 24 Butterflies
- 25 Moths
- 26 Dragonflies (Odonata) in Britain and Ireland
- 27 Flies, beetles and bees, wasps and ants (Diptera, Coleoptera and aculeate Hymenoptera)
- 28 Hemiptera
- 29 Grasshoppers, crickets and allied insects
- 30 Aerial insect biomass: trends from long-term monitoring
- 31 Other invertebrates
- 32 Land and freshwater molluscs
- 33 The seashore
- 34 The offshore waters
- 35 Plants
- 36 Conclusion: what is the likely future for the wildlife in Britain and Ireland?
- Glossary
- Name index
- Subject index
- Plate section
- References
Summary
Summary
The bird fauna of Britain and Ireland has been studied for over 500 years and changes in numbers over the last 40 years are well documented by a range of surveys, mostly undertaken by volunteers. Britain and Ireland are home to internationally important numbers of seabirds in the breeding season and many species of wildfowl and waders in the winter. Although there has been little overall change in total bird numbers, about half of bird species in Britain and Ireland are of conservation concern because of small or declining populations. In the last 30 years, declines in farmland birds have been well documented, but declines in many woodland and migratory birds are just beginning to be recognised. Conversely, there have been increases in numbers of many raptors, seabirds and waterbirds. In general, habitat specialists have tended to decline most, while more adaptable, generalist species are increasing in number. Climate change threatens bird populations in all habitats, but loss of habitat and deterioration in habitat quality are more pressing threats. Conservationists have been successful at increasing populations of rarer species, but the greater challenge will be conserving birds in the wider countryside, which will require the integration of conservation goals with wider social and landscape policies.
Introduction
More is known about the birds of Britain than the vertebrate fauna of virtually any other country.
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- Silent SummerThe State of Wildlife in Britain and Ireland, pp. 281 - 318Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010
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