Welcome to our South East Christmas Countdown no.2.
Did you guess it is the tree pipit that parachutes from tall trees? There’s a clue at the bottom to tomorrow’s story. If you missed no.3 in the Countdown, you can read it here.
Christmas is a time of celebration! In our countdown to Christmas, we would like to share with you some of this year’s success stories, about some of our most threatened birds in the South East. In September, the State of Nature 2016 report was published. It highlights the alarming decline of many UK species, but it also showed that we can turn the fortunes of our wildlife around, given determination, resources, public support and conservation action.
About tree pipits
The tree pipit has a remarkable song flight, given while flying up from a tree and parachuting down on stiff wings, usually to a different tree. Tree pipits like open habitats with scattered trees; they use glades and clear-fells in woodland as well as wood pasture and wooded heathland. They need song perches in trees to attract a mate. Ground-nesting, they can lay up to two broods of eight eggs in each.
This species is currently categorised as being at the “diagnosis” stage. This means that we do not yet fully understand the problems it has been facing. Before we can help populations of this species to recover across its range, we will need to be sure that we know what action is required. We know that tree pipits breed at RSPB Broadwater Warren in Kent, RSPB Farnham Heath in Surrey, and RSPB Hazeley Heath in Hampshire. By creating even more suitable habitat on these reserves, we can benefit a number of specialist woodland birds, including threatened tree pipits.
The tree pipit species is featured on the Birds of Conservation Concern list, moving from the green to amber list in 2002, and, most recently to red in 2009 on the strength of its UK population decline. Across England, 44% of the population was lost between 1995-2014*. The causes of the population decline are unclear, but are thought to be linked to changing forest structure, where new plantations have matured, and also the reduced management of lowland woods.
Good news from 2016
Thanks to donations from Cory Environmental Trust in Britain, Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust, the Sussex Ornithological Society and the Chalk Cliff Trust, last month we started work on a new forestry and wildlife corridor at RSPB Broadwater Warren. This will allow wardens to manage a further 100 hectares for wildlife that, like tree pipits, need this habitat to survive.
Our work wouldn’t be possible without your continued support, through membership, volunteering and even your Christmas purchases in our shops. On behalf of our teams and all the wildlife you have helped us to save, thank you, and have a great Christmas!
Our story for December
We’ll celebrate another story tomorrow, so keep an eye out for it, but in the meantime here’s a clue to keep you guessing…
Which of our conservation priority species has been given a very special and generous present by RSPB members?