Woodlark Survey 1997

Simon Gillings (BTO) & Simon Wotton (RSPB)

The Woodlark is found throughout much of the Western Palearctic, but in many parts of its European range it has declined as a result of loss and degradation of dry grassland and heathland. In Britain the Woodlark is a rare breeder, being now mainly confined to southern England and is listed as a species of high conservation concern.

In 1986 the BTO ran a Woodlark survey and discovered that there were 241 territories. In 1997, a survey run jointly between the BTO, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and English Nature aimed to discover what the British Woodlark had been up to in the intervening 11 years.

Between mid-February and the end of May volunteers visited all sites where Woodlarks bred during or after 1986, and all suitable habitat nearby (heathland and young conifer plantation). A staggering 1500 territories were discovered, many in areas that had not supported Woodlarks for several decades. By far the largest regional population was right on the doorstep of the BTO in Breckland which held 29% of the British population (see Table 1). Over 85% of territories were on heathland or forest plantations: most of the northern and eastern populations were on forest plantations whereas most of the southern populations were on heathland.

For full details of the survey, including more county-by-county results look out for a paper to be published in the journal Bird Study

Table 1. The distribution of Woodlark territories in counties during the 1997 and 1986 national surveys. Estimated numbers for 1968-72 (from the BTO Breeding Atlas) are shown as a comparison. The figures in brackets show the percentage of the national population. Indented population figures are given for geographic areas within counties and those that span county boundaries.

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