Press Releases - November/December 2006
Item 6

No. 2006/11/60
November 2006

Concern for Kestrels

Birdwatchers were already worried about the disappearance of Britain’s Kestrels, but a long-term decline in breeding success, recently identified by BTO scientists, highlights the need for further research. The Kestrel has been added to the BTO Nest Record Scheme (NRS) Concern List, published today in BTO News. The Kestrel joins other species such as Spotted Flycatcher and Skylark.

Each year the BTO Nest Record Scheme produces a Concern List, incorporating those birds that currently show a significant decline in both breeding success and abundance. The NRS list is intended to act as an early warning system, focusing attention on those birds that may be in greatest need of conservation action in the future. It is sent to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), the Government’s advisor on nature conservation, to help frame policy. There are currently 21 species on the list, of which Kestrel is one of the most recent additions.

While Kestrels used to be a common sight hovering over our motorway verges, numbers declined steeply between the mid-1970s and the mid-1990s, possibly due to a reduction in suitable hunting habitat related to agricultural intensification. Numbers appear to have stabilised subsequently but results of the most recent analysis of Nest Record Scheme data suggest that the species’ troubles may not yet be over. Dr David Leech, Research Ecologist at the BTO said “The latest NRS trends indicate that Kestrel brood sizes have declined, with more pairs now rearing three chicks instead of four or even five. This reduction in breeding success is particularly worrying in light of the recent population trends.”

The BTO Nest Record Scheme is an annual survey that receives 30,000 records each year from 500 participants across the country. It has been monitoring the fortunes of the UK’s nesting birds since 1939. The data collected is analysed by BTO scientists, and the results will be reported in the forthcoming annual Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside Report on the BTO website (www.bto.org).

Notes for Editors

1. Images. This image can be used with this news release, please credit Tommy Holden/BTO. Other images similar to this are freely available for use in association with this news release. Please contact to request an electronic version. Please quote reference number 2006/11/60

2. The Kestrel is a member of the falcon family. It is the only member of the family that habitually hovers to find its prey. The Kestrel feeds mainly on small mammals, insects and lizards (especially in warmer areas). Three other falcons breed in the UK; these are the Peregrine, Merlin and Hobby.

3. BTO News is the Trust’s newsletter, which keeps all members informed about the latest results from surveys and topical issues concerning birds and the environment. It is published six times a year (at two monthly intervals) and is posted to all members of the Trust free of charge.

4. The BTO Nest Record Scheme (NRS) gathers vital information on the productivity of the UK’s birds, using simple, standardised techniques. NRS data are analysed annually and the results are published in the ‘Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside’ report along with information on species’ abundance obtained through other BTO monitoring schemes. Nest record data are also used to investigate the causes of species-specific trends in breeding success. The NRS is funded by a partnership of the British Trust for Ornithology and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (on behalf of Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales, and also on behalf of the Environment and Heritage Service in Northern Ireland).

5. NRS Concern List. The 21 species on the NRS Concern List in 2006 are: Kestrel, Moorhen, Ringed Plover, Barn Owl, Skylark, Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Whinchat, Wheatear, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Starling, House Sparrow, Linnet, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting. The five species in bold were not on the last list.

6. Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside Report. The alert system used within this report is designed to draw attention to developing population declines that may be of conservation concern. It also identifies situations where long-term declines have reversed, leading to an improvement in conservation status.

7. Bird Information. For lots of facts and figures about birds go to www.bto.org/birdfacts

8. The BTO has an ISDN line available for radio interviews.

For further information please contact:

Paul Stancliffe on 01842 750050 or email: (during office hours)
or mobile 07845 900559 (anytime)

David Leech on 01842 750050 or e-mail: (during office hours)

Back to Index of 2006 Press Releases