BTO - Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside: Bullfinch

BULLFINCH
Pyrrhula pyrrhula

• Population
changes

• Productivity
trends

• Additional
information

Conservation listings

Europe: no SPEC category (favourable conservation status in Europe, not concentrated in Europe)
UK: red (>50% population decline)
UK Biodiversity Action Plan: click here

Long-term trend

UK: moderate decline
England: rapid decline

UK population size

166,000 territories in 2000 (1988–91 Atlas estimate updated using CBC/BBS trend: BiE04, APEP06)

Status summary

The UK Bullfinch population entered a long period of decline in the mid 1970s, following a period of relative stability. The decline was initially very steep, and more so in farmland than in wooded habitats, but has been shallower since the early 1980s. CES and CBC/BBS both suggest there are large fluctuations around the overall downward trend. The demographic mechanism of decline remains unclear (Siriwardena et al. 1999, 2000b, 2001), although agricultural intensification and a reduction in the structural and floristic diversity of woodland are suspected to have played a part through losses of food resources and nesting cover (Fuller et al. 2005). Alongside these factors, Proffitt et al. (2004) and Marquiss (2007) mention the constraints on survival outside the breeding season and the possible role of increasing Sparrowhawk populations on the ability of Bullfinches to exploit resources in some habitats. Recent decreases in brood size and in nest survival have raised NRS concern (Leech & Barimore 2008). Numbers have fallen widely in Europe since 1980 (PECBMS 2007).

Population changes

Table of population changes for Bullfinch

Source	Period (yrs)	Years	Plots (n)	Change (%)	Lower limit	Upper limit	Alert
CBC/BBS UK	39	1967-2006	271	-50	-61	-37	>25
	25	1981-2006	340	-28	-39	-14	>25
	10	1996-2006	585	-11	-17	-3
	5	2001-2006	584	7	1	17
CBC/BBS England	39	1967-2006	221	-52	-62	-39	>50
	25	1981-2006	271	-31	-42	-19	>25
	10	1996-2006	452	-9	-17	-2
	5	2001-2006	446	1	-7	8
CES adults	22	1984-2006	80	-19	-36	2
	10	1996-2006	85	-20	-33	-7
	5	2001-2006	77	8	-7	25
CES juveniles	22	1984-2006	62	-21	-43	21
	10	1996-2006	67	-14	-29	3
	5	2001-2006	61	-6	-22	9
BBS UK	11	1995-2006	514	-12	-20	-4
	10	1996-2006	530	-9	-18	-2
	5	2001-2006	584	5	-3	15
BBS England	11	1995-2006	396	-12	-19	-3
	10	1996-2006	406	-7	-15	0
	5	2001-2006	446	1	-6	8
BBS Scotland	11	1995-2006	32	-12	-39	14
	10	1996-2006	34	-23	-45	-5
	5	2001-2006	32	-5	-25	19
BBS Wales	11	1995-2006	60	-3	-21	24
	10	1996-2006	62	7	-11	35
	5	2001-2006	75	15	0	35

Productivity trends

Table of productivity changes for Bullfinch

Variable	Period (yrs)	Years	Mean annual sample	Trend	Modelled in first year	Modelled in 2006	Change
Clutch size	38	1968-2006	35	None
Brood size	38	1968-2006	36	Curvilinear	4.11 chicks	3.79 chicks	-8%
Daily failure rate (eggs)	38	1968-2006	50	Curvilinear	3.33% nests/day	4.13% nests/day	24%
Daily failure rate (chicks)	38	1968-2006	34	Curvilinear	3.36% nests/day	4.05% nests/day	20.5%
Laying date	38	1968-2006	32	None
Juvenile to Adult ratio (CES)	22	1984-2006	84	Smoothed trend	97 Index value	100 Index value	3%
Juvenile to Adult ratio (CES)	10	1996-2006	89	Smoothed trend	77 Index value	100 Index value	29%
Juvenile to Adult ratio (CES)	5	2001-2006	81	Smoothed trend	92 Index value	100 Index value	8%

Additional information


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This report should be cited as: Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Leech, D.I., Joys, A.C., Noble, D.G., Barimore, C., Grantham, M.J., Risely, K. & Robinson, R.A. (2009). Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2008. BTO Research Report No. 516. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends) Pages maintained by Iain Downie, Mandy T Andrews and Laura Smith: Last updated 18.02.2009