KENT NEWS: Birds of prey like red kites and buzzards are making an extraordinary comeback in the county, but numbers of lapwings and sparrows are going down.
Previously, kites were only to be found in Wales, but they have flourished in Kent since their reintroduction.
According to a major new report, numbers are up by an estimated 6,320 per cent, but the researchers say they are unable to give actual figures.
Also up are buzzards by 772 per cent, great spotted woodpeckers by 102 per cent and red-legged partridges at 98 per cent.
But on the minus side, there are 20 species on a so-called ‘red list’, which means they are becoming endangered.
These include the grey partridge, down 61 per cent, the lapwing, down 33 per cent, the starling on a slump of 53 per cent, and the house sparrow dropping by 40 per cent. the turtle dove has faired the worst with a massive 69 per cent decline.
The figures are contained in the latest Breeding Bird Survey.
This is a partnership between the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Together they use figures from around the UK, including Kent, to measure trends for a total of 65 species.
Kate Risely, the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) organiser at the BTO, said: “It’s a testament to the dedication of BBS volunteers that we are able to produce trends for over 1000 species of British birds, the results of which are widely used to set conservation priorities.”
RSPB conservation director Dr Mark Avery added: “We’re very worried that government spending cuts will affect the funding of the BBS and of conservation measures that would improve the fortunes of many declining species.
“Cuts to funding will mean farmland bird numbers will remain at low levels.”
POSTED: 31/07/2010 18:00:00
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