Farmland Bird Population index

Between 1994 and 2004, the population index of farmland birds showed a moderate decline in two regions (South East and West Midlands) and a moderate increase in the North West. There was little or no change in the other regions, although some evidence that farmland birds in the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber are doing better than in the rest of the country.

There is a similar north-south pattern in the changes between 1994 and 2004 in the populations of woodland birds, which showed a decline in the South East, but increased in the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber and East Midlands. There was little change in the remaining regions.

The population index of all native birds also showed a north-south pattern in the changes over the same period. Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West, the North East and the East Midlands all showed an increase between 1994 and 2004, whilst there was little change in the rest of England.

These indicators are based on the Breeding Bird Survey, which provides comprehensive information on the medium term changes in bird populations across the UK. Previous indicators, based on the discontinued Common Birds Census and published in the Regional Wild Bird Indicators in England: 1970-2000 on 27 March 20031, gave estimates of the long term trends in the UK bird populations but could only provide reliable farmland bird indicators for a minority of English regions. The changes shown by the regional indicators for 1994 to 2004 need to be interpreted in the light of the long-term decline in the populations of farmland and woodland birds apparent from the national indicators.

Key results

Farmland species

* Most English regions showed no significant change in farmland bird populations over the period 1994 to 2004. The exceptions were the West Midlands, where the farmland bird index fell by 14 per cent, the South East, where the farmland bird index fell by 12 per cent and the North West, where the farmland bird index rose by 15 per cent. This compares with an overall England decrease of 5 per cent over the same period.(

Woodland species

* The largest increase was in the North West, where woodland bird populations rose by 26 per cent between 1994 and 2004. There was also an increase of 17 per cent in the East Midlands and an increase 15 per cent in the Yorkshire and the Humber region. There was a decrease of 12 per cent in the South East, but little change in the remaining regions. This compares with an overall England decline of 3 per cent over the same period.#

All native bird species

All-species indicators of regional wild bird populations cover a wide range of different species in each region, and comparisons between regions can be difficult to interpret.

Generally

* In most regions there was little change in the all-species indicator, the exceptions being the North West, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber and the East Midlands, where the indices rose by between 12 and 23 per cent over the period 1994 to 2004. This compares with an overall England decline of 5 per cent over the same period