Lowland farmland birds

Easily recognisable species such as kestrel and skylark are also good indicators of a healthy natural environment.  Both have shown huge declines across the county.

What we need to do

About

This group of birds has adapted to living in our agricultural areas with a landscape of arable, pastures and meadows, hedges, field margins and farm buildings. 

These species need a mosaic of habitats that provide nesting sites and, as most don’t migrate, food throughout the year. A network of habitats rich in insects, small invertebrates and seed, such as weedy stubbles, grasslands and field and hedge margins are critical. Species such as skylark and woodlark nest on the ground in crops or grasslands. Cirl buntings, linnets, yellowhammers and house sparrows nest in dense hedges or scrub. House martins only nest in buildings.

Nationally farmland birds have declined by 61% since 1970.  The most severe declines occurred between the mid-1970s and the early 1990s due to rapid changes in farmland management.  However populations are still declining.  See Find out more for information on the UK farmland bird index.    

There are nine Focus Species in this group that need specific actions and attention. All are easy to identify and monitor and so are great flagships for a healthy natural environment. Devon has a national responsibility for cirl buntings, which are listed as a Devon Special Species.  Other rare species such as corn bunting, grey partridge, turtle dove and tree sparrow are now absent from, or rarely found in, the county. This is because these species rely on seeds in arable fields and 90% of Devon’s farmland is pastoral.

Actions for this group will benefit all farmland species including barn owl, mistle thrush, whitethroat and swallow, some of which are  listed as Devon Species of Conservation Concern.  House sparrows, house martins and starlings are also discussed in the Birds of towns and villages group. Linnets, skylarks, yellowhammers and kestrels are also discussed in the Birds of grazed moors, heaths and rough grasslands group.

Lapwings which were once a widespread breeding bird in Devon’s farmed landscape now only breed at Exminster Marshes, see Estuarine Group.

Key pressures and opportunities

— TO DISCUSS AND AGREE WITH LNRS FARMING GROUP DURING CONSULTATION

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Grasslands and arable

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Much of Devon is now improved re-seeded agricultural grassland which is managed as regularly cut silage fields. Research shows that the breeding density of species such as yellowhammer decreases when more farmland is under grassland because it supports fewer invertebrates and weed seeds than arable.  Highly fertilised leys may also reduce access to invertebrate prey.  Discuss and add information about opportunities to improve pastoral landscapes for invertebrates and seeds + issues relating to ELM and herbal leys

The decline in spring-sown cereals and weedy winter stubbles has had a huge impact on species which need a source of seed during the winter. Agri-environment schemes provide critical funding to retain seed rich fields through winter stubbles of wild bird seed mixes in our farmed landscapes.

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Hedgerows and scrub

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Farmland birds need bushy hedges that are allowed to flower and produce berries, an important food source for some species. Regular flailing reduces the value of hedges for birds. See Hedgerows page for more details. 

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Farm buildings

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The loss and renovation of old farm buildings can reduce nesting opportunities at landscape scale for species that nest in buildings, including kestrels, barn owls and starlings.

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Agri-environment support

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The development and update of agri-environment schemes which are tailored to pastoral landscapes such as Devon are critical.  Update needed – discuss with farming leads and group during consultation.   

What we need to do and where

Focus species

Cirl bunting

Emberiza cirlus
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Habitat

Cirl buntings are the UK’s rarest resident farmland bird. They nest in thick hedges or areas of scrub such as brambles and gorse. In summer they feed on invertebrates and in winter on seeds from areas such as weedy winter stubbles.

Population

Cirl Buntings were once widespread and locally common across farmland in southern England and their range went as far as north Wales and Yorkshire. However, in the 1950s the population suffered a severe decline and they were almost lost from the UK. By 1989, there were fewer than 120 pairs recorded, largely restricted to areas with spring barley and winter stubbles on the south Devon coast between Plymouth and Exeter. The RSPB established the Cirl Bunting Project in 1991 and there are now over 1,000 pairs in Devon with expansion into east and north Devon. See Inspiration below for more information. 

Linnet

Linaria cannabina
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Habitat  

Linnets are largely found in mosaic landscapes with areas of thick scrub or hedges that provide nesting sites, and lots of seeds. Adults and their chicks feed almost entirely on seeds throughout the year. In winter they feed in winter stubbles, root crops and field margins on weed seed and spilt grains. Dandelions seeds in pastures are important and chicks will feed on unripe oilseed rape. They’re also found in other seed-rich habitats such as grazed open heaths and species-rich grasslands.  

Population

Linnets are found across the UK. However, their numbers declined sharply between the 1960s and the late 1980s. The decline has since slowed but their population is still falling and linnets are on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red list.

In Devon, they’re still fairly numerous although patchily distributed in the north and east of the county. In 1988 they were found in 71% of Devon tetrads but by 2016 they were only in 52%.

Yellowhammer

Emberiza citrinella
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Habitat

Yellowhammers are similar to linnets as they need hedges for nesting and lots of seeds. Unlike linnets, they feed their chicks on insects and during the nesting season adults will feed on insects too.

Yellowhammers nest on or close to the ground in short (less than 2 metres), dense hedges and field margins with long grass and scrub. They particularly favour dense hedges next to ditches and avoid woodland. They breed from early spring through to late August and are therefore vulnerable to early hedge trimming during or immediately after harvest.

Population

Yellowhammers are widely distributed throughout the UK. However, they’re on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red list due to a steep decline in numbers since the 1980s. They’re still fairly numerous in much of Devon but very patchily distributed in the east and west of the county. In 1988 they were found in 82% of Devon tetrads but by 2016 they were only in 45%.

Starling

Sturnus vulgaris
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Habitat

Starlings are found across urban and rural areas. They have a varied diet, feeding on insects, worms, berries, snails, spiders, fruit and scraps. However, they only feed their young on invertebrates and research shows that they capture more prey in short grass.

Starlings nest in tree cavities, nest boxes, under roof tiles and in the eaves of buildings.

Young birds form large flocks that can become huge in the winter as birds arrive from northern Europe. Winter roosts can contain several thousand birds, which gather in reedbeds, farm buildings and trees.

Population

The breeding population in the UK has fallen sharply, particularly since the early 1980s. As it continues to decline, starlings are on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red list. In Devon, they’re still numerous (and abundant in winter) but there has been a huge decline. In 1988 they were found in 87% of tetrads but by 2016 this had fallen to only 36%.

Skylark

Alauda arvensis
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Habitat

Skylarks are found across the countryside where they nest on the ground in large arable fields, pasture, heaths, moors and rough grasslands. They nest in short vegetation (below 60cm). Due to high predation rates they need to produce up to three broods every season. Autumn-sown crops only allow for one nesting attempt before they’re harvested and silage fields are generally cut too frequently to allow successful breeding.

Adults feed on seeds and plant shoots including knotgrass, groundsel, fat hen and grasses. Chicks are entirely dependent on insects until they leave the nest, favouring sawfly larvae, beetles, ants, spiders and grasshoppers. In winter skylarks often gather in large flocks on farmland, saltmarsh and dunes. 

Population

Skylark numbers underwent a major decline throughout the 1970s and 1980s and are on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red list . A key reason for this decline was the widespread change from spring to autumn-sown crops (see Habitat above). Skylarks are still widespread across Devon, with large populations on Dartmoor and Exmoor. However, they’re scarce or absent in many areas. In 1988 they were found in 93% tetrads but by 2016 this had fallen to 63%.

Kestrel

Falco tinnunculus
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Habitat

Kestrels can be found across the UK. They favour open habitats with a supply of field voles, such as rough grassland and heathland. They also eat mice, shrews, small birds and sometimes worms and insects. They nest in natural cavities in trees and nests abandoned by other species. They’re easy to identify due to their ability to hover motionless over fields while stalking their prey.

Population

The UK’s kestrel population has fallen by half since 1970 and they are on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Amber list.  The decline is thought to be due to loss of rough grasslands which can support field voles, secondary poisoning by eating voles and mice that have eaten poison meant for rats, and loss of nesting sites such as old trees with cavities.  

House sparrow

Passer domesticus
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Habitat

House sparrows are noisy, sociable birds that nest in colonies. They’re found in urban and rural areas throughout the UK where they nest in crevices in buildings, in nest boxes and in ivy, hedges and scrub. They have a mixed diet, foraging for seeds and insects in hedgerows, farmyards, meadows and gardens near to their nests.

Population

Between 1977 and 2008, house sparrows declined by 71%, with large falls in both rural and urban areas. Although it’s not clear why their population has fallen so sharply, predation by cats and sparrowhawks, lack of nest sites, lack of food, pollution and avian malaria are all possible causes. House sparrows have been on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red list since 2002.

As for other birds, this decline has been caused by a loss of insects and seeds, including in farmyards as mechanisation has reduced the amount of seed spilt during harvesting. Research shows the benefits of providing supplementary winter seed and planting wild bird seed mixes.

House martin

Delichon urbicum
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Habitat

House martins are a summer visitor to the UK. They build nests from wet mud mixed with straw and grass under the eaves of buildings. They return to the same nesting sites each year and will reuse their old nests. As they use wet mud, they’re often found near ponds, lakes and rivers. They feed on the wing on flying insects. 

Population

The UK breeding population of house martins declined by 44% between 1995 and 2022 and they’re on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red list.  The number of Devon tetrads they are found in fell by nearly 50% between 1988 and 2016. The reasons for this decline are not well understood, but research shows that birds that build nests on PVC, rather than brick, concrete or wood, have much lower breeding success. A decline in insects is also likely to be a factor.

Woodlark

Lullula arborea
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Habitat

Woodlarks are a ground-nesting bird found in open habitats. They nest in a small hollow hidden among taller vegetation and feed on seeds and invertebrates such as beetles, caterpillars and spiders in areas of bare ground and short vegetation. In other parts of the country they’re largely a heathland bird but in Devon they depend on extensively managed, often hilly, farmland where they live in areas of unimproved pasture, fallow land or fields of stubble or sparse winter cereals.

Population

The woodlark was added to the UK Bird of Conservation Concern Red list in the 1980s because of a drastic decline in its range over the previous 20 years. Much of the species’ decline coincided with the loss of traditional mixed farmland and heathland. A programme of heathland restoration and clearfell forestry led to a recovery and in 2015 the species was moved to the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Green list. However, farmland populations are low and they remain vulnerable. The Rare Breeding Bird Panel consider woodlarks to be one of the rarer species of birds breeding in the UK.

In Devon, woodlarks remain very local and scarce. They’re found almost exclusively in farmland areas between Dartmoor and the Exe Estuary, with few confirmed breeding records in recent years.  Research has shown that limiting factors are the absence of bare ground and short vegetation for nesting and foraging.

Actions for all lowland farmland birds

Provide hedges, scrub and trees to create nesting habitats

  • Keep old trees that have holes as they provide nesting and dead wood for insects.
  • Manage hedges on a 2-3 year rotation, cutting after February to leave berries as food over winter. Ensure there is always a mix of short hedges (for linnets and yellowhammers) and taller hedges. See Hedgerows for more information.
  • Leave areas of bramble where possible for nesting and food.

Provide nest boxes and nesting habitats in buildings

  • Leave house martin nest sites in place so they can be reused in following years.
  • Keep nesting opportunites in farm buildings.
  • Provide nesting boxes for species such as house sparrow, kestrel, starling and barn owl.

Provide nesting habitats – grasslands and crops

  • Create skylark plots (small undrilled patches or patches which are sprayed out after crops have established) in winter cereals to boost nesting success.
  • Create areas of bare and sparsely vegetated ground in and around crops.
  • Reduce impacts on ground-nesting skylarks and woodlarks by (where possible) reducing stocking rates where they are nesting and delaying mowing or reducing the number of cuts on silage fields. Ideally avoid cutting before late May and leave at least seven weeks between subsequent cuts.

Ensure a supply of seeds throughout the year

  • Consider supplementary feeding in late winter and early spring.
  • Provide wild bird-seed cover or game cover.
  • Allow a green cover to naturally regenerate on overwintered stubbles and leave this in the ground for as long as possible.
  • Extend uncultivated field margins in arable and grassland fields and manage with a rotational cut to allow grasses and broadleaves to set seed.
  • Where possible leave some weeds such as dandelions in improved pasture
  • Maintain areas of species-rich grasslands and rough grasslands.  See Grasslands for more information.    

Increase populations of invertebrates and small mammals such as voles

  • Provide beetle banks, uncultivated field margins and conservation headlands.
  • Minimise pesticide use through integrated pest management – see Pesticides page for details – needs discussing.
  • Manage permanent pastures and wet areas to increase the invertebrate population (worms, leather jackets and wireworms).

Agri-environment and advice

  • Establish and roll out a sufficiently resourced new Environmental Land Management system and develop an integrated business and wildlife farm advice service to help conserve and enhance Devon’s bird populations. 

Where to focus action

Most Focus Species are found across the county and actions are needed across Devon’s lowland farmed landscape. 

Cirl buntings and woodlarks have a restricted distribution where action is most needed and High Opportunity Areas have been mapped for both species.  See the LNRS Viewer.

Inspiration

Case studies

Need some farmer case studies – talk to farming group. 

For many years farmers and landowners across Devon have carried out a wealth of positive conservation action. Much of this action has been encouraged by wildlife, countryside and farming advisers and organisations and supported by payments under agri-environment programmes.

The RSPB established the Cirl Bunting Project in 1991 to prevent the extinction of cirl buntings in the UK.  Research and lobbying resulted in its inclusion as an option in the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. This has been very successful with over 1,000 pairs recorded in the 2016 survey.  Xxx add farmer cirl case study and link to more info.

Where to visit

To add

Find out more

The Devon Bird Atlas shows the distribution and abundance of birds in Devon in both the breeding and winter periods.

The British Trust for Ornithology publish maps and books with statistics for species distribution and change.

The UK Farmland Bird Indicator has information on trends in farmland birds including the 12 farmland specialists (corn bunting, grey partridge, lapwing, linnet, reed bunting, skylark, tree sparrow, turtle dove, yellow wagtail, yellowhammer, whinchat and stone-curlew) and 7 farmland generalists (goldfinch, greenfinch, jackdaw, kestrel, rook, stock dove and woodpigeon).

The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust has lots of useful information on farmland birds including advice on habitat, feeding and beneficial management and advice on how to create different habitats.

The RSPB website has information on farming and wildlife, including advice for farmers on how to help different bird species.  

The British Trust for Ornithology has facts on all bird species that have been recorded in the wild in the UK.

Through their Working Wetlands project, Devon Wildlife Trust is working with farmers and landowners to use natural solutions to protect water quality and quantity and restore wildlife habitats.

The Nature Friendly Farming Network has lots of information on its website to help farmers learn more about nature-friendly farming.

Farm Wildlife helps farmers help wildlife on their farms.

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