A number of endangered species are unexpected names on list
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OF all the books I constantly refer to, the one that covers birds is the RSPB Handbook of Scottish Birds by Peter Holden and Stuart Housden, published by Christopher Helm in 2009. In such a comparatively small book the amount of accurate information is amazing but this is partly because it only covers Scottish birds.
One feature of the book that many people may easily overlook is the coloured strips at the top of each species where the English and Latin names are given. These colour codes represent the UK-agreed system for recognising birds of conservation concern.
Near the lower end of the scale is the colour code green which signifies that the species breeds widely in Europe and, although numbers fluctuate, there is no discernable rapid or moderate decline and some species may be increasing.
Two good examples are the greenfinch and woodpigeon. Both these species are increasing for various reasons and one of them, the greenfinch, is now making extensive use of feeders in gardens to which they have readily adapted.
For example, in my garden the greenfinches compete with others for their favourite food, the sunflower hearts. At the moment only a few feet away from my desk, there is such a feeder and there is a greenfinch, chaffinch, siskin and goldfinch tucking in.
At the top end of the scale is the dreaded red colour code which indicates the most threatened species in the UK because either the numbers of birds are rapidly falling or their ranges are markedly contracting.
So what birds would we expect to be in this category, one I might add that is steadily growing in the number of species most years?
Well, some you would automatically expect such as the corn bunting that has virtually disappeared from the Highlands altogether. The enigmatic corncake is another, despite attempts to re-vitalise their breeding numbers in recent years. Hen harrier is to be expected, especially with the persecution still, sadly, taking place.
One bird that may come as a surprise is the humble house sparrow. Who could possibly have ever envisaged that this bird could ever come into this category?
The facts speak for themselves and the extent of the decline is really alarming. Between 1974 and 1999 the fall in numbers was 62 per cent and this has continued every year, albeit more slowly.
The key factor has been food, especially later in the year, when second and third broods of chicks have just succumbed in the nest or just after fledging. It has gone from its former strongholds such as town centres and suburban gardens as well as the wider countryside. As for the latter it is easy to lay the blame on lack of seed left over after, or even during, the harvest but it does not explain the reason for the decline in gardens.
We may still have some house sparrows in the Highlands but down south there are broad tracts of countryside and houses that have no house sparrows at all.
In recent years there has been a drive to provide more nesting sites as new buildings do not afford the birds any nesting sites. This has worked to a certain extent but if the food is not there they are of little compensation. Garden feeders have helped and I regularly see them at sunflower hearts, peanuts and mixed grain I put out every day.
In the past our attitude to house sparrows have varied from many years of persecution with even a bounty on those killed. Sparrow pie was once very popular. It is estimated that millions of them were controlled over the years.
In contrast they have been introduced to very many countries throughout the world – successfully to every continent except Antarctica.
As for the future, there would seem to be no easy answer as the old days of farming will never return. Perhaps the future of the house sparrows now lies in the very many people who daily put out food in their gardens. It really makes one think just what we are doing to the landscape and its wildlife and to ourselves!
