Birds thrive in gardens but suffer on moors; Environment Editor Tony Henderson on stocktaking the North East's bird population.

VOLUNTEERS have plotted the winners and losers among breeding birds in the North East. The breeding bird survey is a partnership between the British Trust for Ornithology, the RSPB and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, which advises the Government.

The volunteers are allocated randomly-chosen one-kilometre squares in the region, and make two early morning recording visits during April-June.

The survey has been running since 1994 and the newly-released 2008 results show that in the North East, moorland birds like lapwing and curlew have suffered.

The fall for lapwings in 2008 was 11%. Curlew were down 16% continuing a decline of 37% over the period 1995-2007.

Starlings declined in the North East by 12% last year and 38% over the longer term. Nationally, the population is at its lowest level since the survey began.

Skylarks in the region recorded a 4% drop last year and 21% since 1995, with willow warbler numbers falling by 8% and 30%.

Other main losers during 1995-2007 include the jackdaw, down 5%, with the North East being the only region in which this bird has declined.

Yellowhammers have also plunged by 34%, house sparrows by 20% and linnets by 14% Winners since 1995 in the region include woodpigeon, up 22%; swallow 32%; carrion crow 11%; blackcap 26%; goldfinch 44%; chaffinch 23%; greenfinch 21%; wren 31%; dunnock 34%; robin 28%; blackbird 35%, blue tit 2% and coal tit 32%.

The great tit turned in the most spectacular gains, up 6% last year to add to its 75% increase from 1995.

Pheasant were up 10% last year and 48% from 1995, but this is governed by release rates of young birds.

Kate Risley, national survey organiser, said that the farmland birds like the yellowhammer and skylark had been hit by changes in agricultural practices.

But the woodpigeon has prospered. "It has a wide range of food and can take advantage of just about everything, and it is also moving into towns and gardens," said Kate.

She said that garden birds such as the finches, wren, robin, blackbird and the tit family were generally doing well.

"They have taken advantage of the fact that more people are feeding them. Gardens have become a hugely important habitat for these birds.

"The tits have benefited from nesting boxes, and for these species the boxes can make a big difference."

CAPTION(S):

LOOK AND LISTEN Muriel Cadwallender runs the Northumberland breeding birds survey. She has been involved since 1994.