Corvid cull looming

Urrrggghhh, I feel utterly sick. If any creature was to be culled it would be those human who decided this. Yes, corvids to kill, but all that money that's going to be used for culling is surely enough to make a songbird-friendly farm or something. Only because corvids are successfull. Like, nobody would go 'let's cull robins because they are eating all the worms up and is the reason for the dramatic decline of worms'

Arrgh don't get me started

People pick and choose what they want to see alive.. I'm pro culling anything non-native (that does not include native species that have been re-introduced due to extinction of course!) if it's causing a problem.. which Grey Squirrels are.. but Crows and Magpies?...

It seems anything predatory is typically the least favoured animals for some reason.

Fieldfare said:

It seems anything predatory is typically the least favoured animals for some reason.

Oh yes, and what's at the top of the food chain and ''in charge'' of everything? US, who selfishly kill without a good reason to.

Unknown said:

The GCWT are behind this and the dark forces that support them. It is more for the protection of their precious grouse and nothing to do with songbirds. Everyone knows it is the lack of habitat and modern land management that is causing the decline.

Anyway I am totally against it and will sign any petition to get it stopped. I doubt if they have the licences anyway.

Actually - this work is following on exactly from what the RSPB quotes in their report The Predation of Wild Birds In the UK:

'…studies are needed that compare numbers of bird prey at sites (or times) where predator numbers differ; those performed as experiments are generally most convincing.  Growing evidence from such studies in the UK and elsewhere suggests that breeding populations of some ground-nesting birds are more likely to be limited by predation than other groups…. 

Ideally, these studies should be done as formal experiments, with predators removed in some areas or years, but not in others, and the impact on prey measured….

Generally, predator removal is achieved by shooting or trapping and killing….

Further studies that provide clear evidence of whether predators limit populations of their bird prey are needed.  While such evidence is best obtained from predator removal experiments, these are not always straightforward…'

It has nothing to do with grouse.  The study is testing the effect on small farmland birds.

And don't you think that licences etc would have been sorted out before they would announce they are going ahead anyway? (not that any special licences are needed for this work anyway.)

AnnaM

I think you are being a bit selective in the words that you are quoting from the paper you describe.  This is a scientific analysis that clearly will include all options,.  It does refer to this type of experiment (previously tried) but also refers to this procedure being more appropriate to ground nesting birds than songbirds and also refers to other non lethal methods. 

The final section  says " In particular, it shows that declines in songbird numbers over the last few decades should not be blamed on predation by sparrowhawks  or magpies. Because of this any attempt to recover the UK’s songbird numbers by managing predator populations, such as those of sparrowhawks or magpies, is likely to prove ineffective.  A great deal of conservation resource is currently being  spent on recovering songbird populations by managing their habitats; the evidence presented in this review supports this approach. 

By contrast, there is growing scientific evidence that breeding populations of some ground-nesting birds, such as  waders and gamebirds, are more likely to be limited by predation than other groups, perhaps because their nests or young are more vulnerable to predation.

Consequently, as well as managing habitats to provide food and nest sites, Conservation Managers should consider ways of reducing the impacts of predation on ground-nesting birds that have a poor conservation status. While reducing predator numbers by killing them is one option that can be successful, other, non-lethal solutions are available, though their efficacy is less well documented..... "

As regard to licences I am sure they will be needed as the General Licence would not cover the destruction of birds for this purpose, although I suspect the licence would be easily obtained.

Do not think licenses are essential as over a million drivers without licenses and so killing people who is going to find someone culling corvids out in the sticks,like catching raptor persecuters almost impossible especially with the cuts in police force and having demonstrations etc,preparing for olympics they have as they see it I am sure more important crimes to chase down.Facts are if too many of one species such as corvids gets too many in a locality they will be cotrolled.   

Thanks Bob Phillpot. Methinks AnnaM has a hidden agenda. Not sure why I got involved in this. Is she perhaps a troll trying to wind us up. Anyway I am going back to my beloved ospreys now..