Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Figure 1: Graph showing Buzzard population changes over time in spring (blue) and autumn (red) For example, during the study period, 3% of Buzzards admitted to the hospital were shot and a significant number of Buzzards were found to have been poisoned by rodenticides. When combined with data from the National Bird of Prey Hospital TM and the Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme, the results from these surveys emphasise that both species are facing a number of both deliberate and accidental threats that could be limiting population growth. The populations are still at lower densities than we would expect when compared to similar habitats in mainland Europe so we are continuing to monitor Red Kites and Buzzards. Whilst the increase of these beautiful birds in our British countryside is good news, these results highlight that they are still having a difficult time.
Find out more about our Buzzard research. The graph below illustrates the changes in Buzzard numbers in spring (blue) and autumn (red) from 2011 to 2016. Buzzards also showed an increase however, in recent years, the rate of increase of both species appears to have slowed. This can be attributed, in part, to the success of the Red Kite Reintroduction Programme in which the Trust played an important role. Initial analyses indicate that the population of Red Kites in the study area more than doubled during the survey period. This allows us to gain a better understanding of post-rehabilitation survival rates of these species, and understand habitat use. In addition to monitoring population changes, we fit Buzzards and Red Kites that have been rehabilitated at our National Bird of Prey Hospital with radio transmitters so we can monitor their post-release movements and behaviour. Matt enlisted the help of volunteers for the expanded project and so far, they have walked a further 2000km. Since then, Berkshire and parts of Wales have been added and work is now being expanded into Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Kent.ĭuring the first part of the project, Matt walked 4500km along pre-determined routes to observe and record sightings of both species. Using this robust method, data were collected between 2011-2016 in Wiltshire, Hampshire, West Sussex and Surrey. Previous estimates for these species have been derived from breeding bird surveys to create an index of population change. This research is particularly interesting because it is the first time that densities of Buzzards and Red Kites have been calculated using an intensive distance sampling method. Since 2010, the Hawk Conservancy Trust’s UK Conservation Biologist, Dr Matt Stevens has been collecting data on the distributions of Buzzards and Red Kites across central-southern England.
0 kommentar(er)
