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S3 Abundance of Terrestrial Breeding Birds
Male lapwing in grassland nesting habitat
Vanellus vanellus
Abundance of Terrestrial Breeding Birds 1994-2004
Breeding Bird Survey and targeted survey scheme data for 68 breeding bird species
TREND: IMPROVEMENT | DATA CONFIDENCE: HIGH |
Terrestrial breeding birds in Scotland comprise both resident and migratory species. They include familiar species of the garden such as blackbird Turdus merula and robin Erithacus rubecula, woodland such as willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus and goldcrest Regulus regulus, farmland species such as linnet Carduelis cannabina and goldfinch Carduelis carduelis, and birds of the uplands such as raven Corvus corax and black grouse Tetrao tetrix. Birds respond quickly to variation in habitat quality, through changes in breeding output, survival or dispersal. Since most species are relatively easy to identify and count, geographically widespread, abundant and diurnal, birds are often used as indicators of environmental change.
Assessment
- The 68 bird species increased in abundance by 17% between 1994 and 2004.
- Woodland birds increased by 30%; farmland birds by 10%.
- The trend for 16 upland birds was stable overall (1% increase, although species such as Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata and black grouse Tetrao tetrix declined, by 46% and 29% respectively).
Evidence
Terrestrial breeding birds are recorded principally through the Breeding Bird Survey ( BBS). Since 1994 the BBS has recorded population estimates of birds in Scotland within a random sample of 1km grid squares which are representative of the main terrestrial habitats. Two survey visits are made to each of two 1km transects in each square, in spring and early summer. Ten species are included in the indicator which are too scarce to be monitored by the BBS but are surveyed in other ways.
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