BTO - Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside: Woodlark

WOODLARK
Lullula arborea

Woodlark © Derek Belsey

• Population
changes

• Productivity
trends

• Additional
information

Conservation listings

Europe: SPEC category 2 (depleted)
UK: red (>50% distribution decline)
UK Biodiversity Action Plan: click here

Long-term trend

UK: increase

UK population size

1,426–1,552 pairs in 1997 (Wotton & Gillings 2000: APEP06, rounded to 1,400–1,600 BiE04)

Status summary

This species is too rare and restricted in range for population changes to be monitored annually by BTO observers. A 62% reduction in the number of 10-km squares occupied between 1968–72 and 1988–91 warranted red-listing on grounds of range contraction; the species had ceased to breed in Wales and in several southern English counties over this period (Gibbons et al. 1993). Sitters et al. (1996) report that the population increased from c.250 pairs in 1986 to c.600 pairs in 1993, probably helped by recent mild winters and increased habitat availability due to storm damage in plantations, forest restocking, and heathland management. A repeat national survey in 1997 showed that the population had increased further, accompanied by expansion of the range into new areas (Wotton & Gillings 2000; for more information, click here). Farmland setaside, especially close to forest, is valuable additional habitat for the expanding population, although clutch sizes may be lower there than in more traditional habitats (Wright et al. 2007). Nest failure rates have become less frequent at the egg stage, but considerably more so at the chick stage. BTO conducted a new national survey in spring 2006 (for more information, click here).

Population changes

Annual breeding population changes for this species are not currently monitored by BTO

Productivity trends

Laying date graph

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., Crick, H.Q.P., Noble, D.G., Balmer, D.E., Barimore, C., Coombes, R.H., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Joys, A.C., Leech, D.I., Raven, M.J., Robinson, R.A. & Thewlis, R.M. (2007) Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2007. BTO Research Report No. 487. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends) Pages maintained by Susan Waghorn and Iain Downie: Last updated 7 November, 2008