Once confined to Wales, numbers of red kites have increased significantly in the South East over recent years, according to new a report.

The latest Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) calculated trends for a total of 65 species in the South East between 1995-2008.

Red kites were saved from national extinction by one of the world's longest running protection programmes.

The success of the reintroduction scheme is evident in the latest data which shows a 6,320 per cent increase in numbers in the South East.

The region has also seen an increase in buzzard (772 per cent), great spotted woodpecker (102 per cent) and red-legged partridge (98 per cent).

At a national level, the hobby, a migrant falcon that winters in sub-Saharan Africa, has increased by 23 per cent since the start of the survey, and is continuing its upward trend with a 21 per cent increase between 2008 and 2009. 

The success of the hobby could be linked to increasing numbers of dragonflies, one of its main prey items, allowing a northward spread in the hobby’s distribution.

However, of the 20 red-listed species of conservation concern which are monitored, 15 have decreased significantly since the start of the survey.

In the South East these include grey partridge ( minus 61 per cent), lapwing (minus 33 per cent), starling (minus 53 per cent) and house sparrow (minus 40 per cent). Turtle Doves have seen the greatest decline (minus 69 per cent).

Kate Risely, BBS organiser at the British Trust for Ornithology, commented: “It is a testament to the dedication of BBS volunteers that we are able to produce trends for over one hundred species of British birds, the results of which are widely used to set conservation priorities. Without this dedication we would know much less about the fortunes of our breeding birds.”

“Biological monitoring at such a large scale and of such high quality as implemented in the BBS would be prohibitively expensive without the input of an army of highly skilled volunteers”, said Dr Ian Mitchell, Senior monitoring ecologist with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee – the UK Government’s adviser on nature conservation and co-funders of the BBS.

“We are working closely with the BTO to ensure that the information obtained from the BBS is used as extensively as possible to inform policy and action related to land-management and climate change”.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Conservation Director, said: “We are very worried that government spending cuts will affect the funding of the Breeding Birds Survey but also of conservation measures that would improve the fortunes of many declining species. Cuts to agri-environment funding will mean that farmland bird numbers, as measured by the BBS, will remain at low levels.”

A number of small-bodied resident birds declined significantly between 2008 and 2009, presumably due to the prolonged freezing temperatures in January and February 2009.

Goldcrests and long-tailed tits, which in 2008 both reached their highest numbers since the start of the survey, declined by 56 per cent and 12 per cent respectively between 2008 and 2009. Significant declines were also shown by stonechats (38 per cent), treecreepers (27 per cent), great tits (5 per cent) and blue tits (4 per cent). It will remain to be seen how these birds have fared as a result of the recent winter’s freezing conditions.

The Breeding Bird Survey is a partnership between the British Trust for Ornithology, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

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