Birds of Conservation Concern 4
Posted in:
Birds, Conservation, Protected Species
Date posted: 31 December 2015
December 2015 saw the publication of Birds of Conservation Concern 4 (BoCC4), the fourth review of the status of birds in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. Using standardised criteria, 244 species with breeding, passage or wintering populations in the UK are assigned by BoCC4 to the Red, Amber and Green lists of conservation concern.
The allocation of each species to one of the three lists has been carried out by experts from the UK’s leading conservation organisations and is based on the latest available evidence from bird monitoring schemes. The criteria used include: conservation status at global and European levels and within the UK; historical decline; trends in population and range; rarity; localised distribution and international importance.
Some good news
Two previously red-listed species (Nightjar and Bittern) have shown significant improvements in population status and have moved to the Amber list. This is due largely to sustainable forest management and targeted conservation efforts. The Red Kite population is also increasing/spreading and this species moves from Amber to Green.
But mostly bad news
The number of species on the Red List has increased to 67, representing more than 25% of all those assessed. Although there have been no additions, farmland birds still represent the highest proportion of species assessed (12 of 26) on the Red List.
Five upland birds including Curlew have been added to the Red List. Three woodland species, Woodcock, Nightingale and Pied Flycatcher have also been added. Seabird additions include Puffin, which is now on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and is classified by IUCN as “vulnerable to extinction” – further details here. Four species including Ringed Plover and Pochard are added to the Red List due to declines in their UK wintering populations.
A number of urban species are conservations threatened, including Black Redstart and House Sparrow (Red List) and Swift (Amber List).
More information about Birds of Conservation Concern
The following links provide more information about the latest BoCC assessment:
- Summary leaflet – click here
- Detailed analysis, published in British Birds – click here
- Dr Mark Eaton (RSPB) explains the story behind the red list – click here
Services provided by Alar Ecology
The purpose of the Birds of Conservation Concern Red, Amber and Green lists is to inform conservation priorities by targeting those species that need it most. But it isn’t just conservation bodies that need to sit up and take notice. Birds of Conservation Concern is a very useful tool for planners, developers and land managers too, because it provides a way of measuring the ecological importance of a site. By focussing on Red and Amber listed birds, unwanted impacts on sensitive species can be designed out of schemes and opportunities to deliver compensation and enhancement can be identified, e.g. retaining habitats that Red List species are most closely associated with and rely upon.
Alar Ecology Limited (AEL) provides a comprehensive range of ornithological services. This includes baseline data collection and informed ecological impact assessment. As well as highlighting those species are strictly protected in the UK, AEL’s reports address species of conservation importance and show how impacts can be avoided and success monitored. Click here for more details.
Image credit: Atlantic Puffins © istockphoto.com/sage78 Stock photo ID:7050725
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