Natural England launches blueprint to save birds

Natural England has produced a “Farmland Bird Package” which the RSPB says is a “a blueprint for saving farmland birds in England”.

The package is being published as part of four new environmental advice leaflets which Natural England is distributing to farmers.

Mark Avery, director of conservation at the RSPB, said: “This package is informed by years of research both across the country and at our own Hope Farm in Cambridgeshire so it is built on a robust scientific foundation.

“With these measures in place on farms across the country we will be able to reverse the devastating decline in the farmland birds which have been a traditional part of our nation’s countryside for centuries.

“Any arable farmer in the country can use this package and, wherever and whenever they do, they will see an increase in farmland birds.”

The three main measures set out in the Farmland Bird Package involve providing in-field nesting habitat, winter seed food and summer insect-rich foraging areas.

In-field habitats could include skylark plots – small fallow patches in fields for birds to forage – or larger lapwing plots.

Winter food can be provided by either over-winter stubble or a seed mixture. Providing summer foraging areas involves creating flower-rich field margins which attract insects. The total amount of land that will need to be taken out of production by the farmer could be as little as three or four per cent.

Farmers can take up the Farmland Bird Package as part of Entry Level Stewardship, which will ensure they receive financial recompense for taking land out of production, or they can take it up using the voluntary measures of the Campaign for the Farmed Environment.