Newsletter / Blog
2013-01-05 Crisis – Turtle Dove and Grey Partridge in UK
The Turtle Dove
and the Grey Partridge are displaying alarming number reductions in the UK. Once
widespread in southern Britain, the Turtle Dove population, which is currently
estimated at 14,000 pairs, is now balancing on a knife-edge in the UK, with
nearly 60% lost in the five years to 2010. The UK Grey Partridge population is
estimated to be around 43,000 pairs, but this too has fallen, by 30% over the
same period.
Dr Mark Eaton is
an RSPB scientist. Commenting on the alarming figures published today, he said:
"Losing six out of ten of our Turtle Doves and three out of ten Grey
Partridge in five years is nothing short of an unsustainable wildlife disaster.
The Turtle Dove is in a great degree of danger — if this
trend were to continue we could be down to fewer than 1,000 pairs by the middle
of the next decade, with complete extinction a real possibility. These two
icons of Christmas are telling us that wildlife is in crisis. We are urging the
Government to take urgent action to save these species from becoming just
memories within the Twelve Days of Christmas festive classic."
Triggered by the
impending crisis facing Turtle Doves, Operation Turtle Dove was launched on the
10th May 2012. This is a three-year collaborative project between the RSPB,
Conservation Grade and Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, supported by Natural
England. Through Operation Turtle Dove, RSPB advisers are helping farmers to
help Turtle Doves by providing habitats that are rich in the summer seeds that
the species rely on, but which are now lacking in our countryside due to the
declines in arable plants such as fumitory. Suffolk farmer James Bucher said: "With
help from the RSPB and funding for wildlife-friendly farming, we have noticed
increases in Grey Partridge, but most noticeably this summer we had up to eight
Turtle Doves whereas before we had just one. However, with species like Grey
Partridge and Turtle Dove in such rapid decline it is of great concern that the
reform of the Common Agricultural Policy may not ensure funding continues and
is enhanced to help me help my farm wildlife."
The RSPB is
anxious that funding available to farmers for wildlife-friendly farming will be
cut when European leaders meet to finalise the European budget next year. This
funding has helped farmers to increase the populations of some threatened
birds, such as the Cirl Bunting and Stone Curlew. Martin Harper is the RSPB's
Conservation Director. He said: "European funding provides the UK with the
largest single pot of money for wildlife conservation. This money, which is
paid to farmers to put nature back into our countryside, is vital, but it is
still seriously at risk as EU leaders wrangle over the big numbers."
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