Good news for Cirl Buntings
12 Dec 2016
Cirl Bunting was formerly widely distributed across much of southern Britain, but steadily declined through the 20th Century. The population reached a low point of about 100 pairs in the 1980s and was almost entirely confined to Devon. This precipitous decline is visible in the Bird Atlas of 1968–72 and 1988–91.
Following long-term conservation work by the RSPB and local land owners in Devon, the decline was halted and the Cirl Bunting population exceeded 1,000 pairs this summer, for the first time since its heyday. This includes 65 territories from a re-introduction scheme in Cornwall, as well as several pairs outside of the core range in Devon. As the population expands, logging sightings in BirdTrack – especially with breeding evidence in the summer months – will be vital in tracking the expanding distribution of Cirl Buntings in Britain.
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