BTO - Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside: Corn Bunting

CORN BUNTING
Emberiza calandra

• Population
changes

• Productivity
trends

• Additional
information

Conservation listings

Europe: SPEC category 2 (declining)
UK: red (>50% population decline, historical decline)
UK Biodiversity Action Plan: click here

Long-term trend

UK, England: rapid decline

UK population size

8,500–12,200 territories in 2000 (1988–91 Atlas estimate updated using CBC/BBS trend: BiE04, APEP06)

Status summary

Following an earlier, historical decrease, Corn Buntings declined very steeply between the mid 1970s and mid 1980s, with local extinctions across large sections of their former range. Subsequently the decline has continued, but at a much-reduced rate. Breeding performance per nesting attempt has increased considerably over this period (Crick 1997), but it is also reported that fewer birds now raise a second brood, thus reducing productivity overall (Brickle & Harper 2002). Brood size and nest survival at the chich stage are currently of NRS concern (Leech & Barimore 2008). Ring-recovery sample sizes do not permit an analysis of survival rates (Siriwardena et al. 1998b, 2000b). Any decrease there has been in survival rates is probably a result of the deleterious effects of agricultural intensification on seed availability in winter (Donald 1997). The isolated Corn Bunting population on the Western Isles is still declining rapidly, probably because agricultural change has reduced the supply of winter grain (Wilson et al. 2007). Targeted restoration of lower-intensity cultivation, but without hedgerows, might help prevent further local extinctions (Mason & Macdonald 2006). Management interventions in eastern Scotland were shown to have the potential to halt, or perhaps reverse, the Corn Bunting decline there (Perkins et al. 2008). Corn Buntings are estimated to have declined by 61% across Europe during 1980–2005 (PECBMS 2007). With declines across much of its European range, this previously 'secure' species is now provisionally evaluated as 'declining' (BirdLife International 2004).

Population changes

Table of population changes for Corn Bunting

Source	Period (yrs)	Years	Plots (n)	Change (%)	Lower limit	Upper limit	Alert	Comment
CBC/BBS UK	39	1967-2006	63	-87	-94	-77	>50
	25	1981-2006	80	-84	-92	-74	>50	Small CBC sample
	10	1996-2006	144	-27	-38	-15	>25
	5	2001-2006	126	-6	-21	8
CBC/BBS England	39	1967-2006	60	-84	-93	-74	>50
	25	1981-2006	76	-83	-92	-71	>50	Small CBC sample
	10	1996-2006	138	-22	-36	-8
	5	2001-2006	120	0	-16	20
BBS UK	11	1995-2006	138	-32	-45	-21	>25
	10	1996-2006	138	-26	-39	-16	>25
	5	2001-2006	126	-7	-21	6
BBS England	11	1995-2006	132	-28	-40	-18	>25
	10	1996-2006	132	-22	-35	-12
	5	2001-2006	120	-2	-17	15

Productivity trends

Table of productivity changes for Corn Bunting

Variable	Period (yrs)	Years	Mean annual sample	Trend	Modelled in first year	Modelled in 2006	Change	Comment
Brood size	38	1968-2006	12	Curvilinear	3.07 chicks	2.89 chicks	-5.9%	Small sample
Daily failure rate (eggs)	38	1968-2006	11	None				Small sample
Daily failure rate (chicks)	38	1968-2006	11	Curvilinear	4.5% nests/day	2.24% nests/day	-50.2%	Small sample
Laying date	38	1968-2006	13	None				Small sample

Insufficient data on clutch size
available for this species

Insufficient data on CES
available for this species

Additional information


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This report should be cited as: Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Leech, D.I., Joys, A.C., Noble, D.G., Barimore, C., Grantham, M.J., Risely, K. & Robinson, R.A. (2009). Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2008. BTO Research Report No. 516. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends) Pages maintained by Iain Downie, Mandy T Andrews and Laura Smith: Last updated 18.02.2009