Welcome to our South East Christmas Countdown no.12.
You can find out about our Christmas Countdown here. We asked you which species can lay over 15 eggs per clutch? Did you guess the answer was the grey partridge? There’s a clue at the bottom to tomorrow’s story.
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 with conservation action, together with determination, resources and public support, we can turn the fortunes of our wildlife around.
About grey partridges
Despite the Christmas carol, grey partridges are strictly ground birds. We won’t find them in pear trees! They’re sociable birds, and for seven or eight months of the year, you’ll find them in groups called coveys, of about 5-15 birds. In the breeding season, the coveys break up into monogamous pairs, although the birds may pair up with different partners in subsequent breeding seasons. The partridge has the largest clutch of any bird species. In Britain 14-15 eggs are typical, while in northern Finland the average clutch is as many as 19 eggs! Now that’s a LOT of Christmas presents for the partridge parents to buy!
Grey partridges were once very common and widespread, but between 1995 and 2014 they suffered a 55% population decrease in England.* They are now a Red List species. Late June is a key time for grey partridges, when peak hatching occurs and the weather around this time can often make or break the season.
Good news from 2016
In the South East, we have joined forces with several farmer groups on the South Downs. By offering advice on habitat management and conservation we are working together to conserve grey partridges. Our open farmland at RSPB Medmerry in West Sussex and RSPB Lydden Valley in Kent, is ideally suited to grey partridges, and both sites were home to breeding pairs this summer.
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!
*data sourced from Breeding Bird Survey bird population trends
Our story for February
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 gives his girlfriend presents in mid-air?