The release of 70 rare cirl buntings in south Cornwall represents the first re-introduction of a small farmland bird in Europe, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

Until now the bird had been largely restricted to a small area of south Devon, despite breeding pair numbers increasing from 118 to more than 700 over the past 16 years.

“This project really is about putting wildlife back in the landscape and redressing some of the losses that have happened in our lifetimes,” said the RSPB’s Mark Avery.

“If we succeed – and things are looking good – then it sends out a very positive message that farmers and conservationists can create a countryside richer in wildlife.”

The bird needs weedy stubble fields where they can feed on seeds and spilt grain during the winter and, in summer, insect-rich land with hedges to nest in.

The project to re-establish the cirl bunting across southern England is one target of the government-backed UK Biodiversity Action Plan and is being carried out by the RSPB, Natural England, the National Trust and Paignton Zoo. It is scheduled to run for the next three years.