The RSPB is warning that some of Scotland’s globally important seabird colonies could become extinct if the Scottish government does not act quickly.

Species like Common Guillemot, Razorbill and Puffin are struggling to cope with increasing challenges including lack of food and the effects of climate change, leaving Scotland’s once bustling 'seabird cities' in danger of failing entirely. The RSPB's warning comes after end-of-season counts at its coastal reserves revealed that these species are continuing to experience severe long-term declines. Recent reports that numbers had stabilised now appear to have been premature.

Recent counts carried out at Noup Cliffs RSPB, Orkney, reveal a 41 per cent fall in numbers of Common Guillemot since the last census in 2000. Dunnet Head RSPB on the Caithness coast saw a decline of around 45 per cent, from 8,980 to just 4,880 birds, since 2000, while Common Guillemots on Ailsa Craig RSPB in the Firth of Clyde have suffered a decline of over 27 per cent.

The charity is calling on the Scottish government to urgently designate Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for the country’s seabird populations. To date, only Black Guillemot is listed in government proposals, leaving species like Common Guillemot, Kittiwake, Arctic Skua and Razorbill unprotected at sea. In contrast with its close cousin, Black Guillemot appears to be doing well, with colony counts in the northern isles in particular showing good productivity. Extensions of protected areas around the colonies feeding grounds in 2009 would seem to have been nowhere near enough.

Allan Whyte, Marine Policy Officer at RSPB Scotland, said: “Scotland is home to 24 species of breeding seabird and it is baffling that the Scottish government chooses to ignore all but one when designating MPAs. Puffin, Kittiwake, Common Guillemot and the rest are struggling to survive in these tough times. The Scottish government must throw these birds a lifeline and designate MPAs to protect this amazing group of species. It is time we take action to give all of our seabirds a fighting chance.”

An impressive 2,000 Saker chicks have hatched in 2013 as a result of an artificial nesting programme in Mongolia. The project, which is run in partnership by the Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Mongolia's Ministry of Nature, Environment and Tourism, was launched in 2010 with the aim of increasing the wild Saker population.

In 2010, EAD — on behalf of the United Arab Emirates government — signed an agreement with the government of Mongolia to build 5,000 artificial nests in the Mongolian steppes to encourage breeding among the species and increase the world's population of Sakers. EAD reported that 3,700 chicks have been born since the project was first launched.

Several of the artificial nests have been fitted with cameras that record continuously, allowing officials to record the falcons' eating habits and predator threats. This year, the project has also been extended to address the problem of Sakers being electrocuted by power lines — a major cause of falcon mortality in Mongolia and China, which kills one falcon each week. Officials took a number of steps to address this issue, including adding insulation covers to the power lines.

This project has been instigated partly in response to the last 20 years when the United Arab Emirates has been the main destination for thousands of falcons caught and sold illegally for hefty sums on the black market. Kazakhstan is estimated to lose up to 1,000 Sakers per year to Middle Eastern falconers.

H.E Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General of EAD, commented on the project's progress: "This initiative was introduced to promote sustainable breeding practices and to provide birds with safe and secure breeding environments in a bid to boost global population numbers. I am happy to report that, in addition to the success we have seen with the breeding, we have also built up the capabilities of local biologists and have incorporated an educational programme in schools in Mongolia as well as two schools in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Education Council."

More information can be found on the Middle East Falcon Research Group website.

The Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña (SOPI, BirdLife in Puerto Rico) has signed an agreement with Cafiesencia, a local NGO, to collaborate in promoting economic sustainability and biodiversity conservation through the production of "Ecological Shade-grown Coffee" in the Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) of Maricao and Susua in Puerto Rico.

Maricao and Susua IBA is home to the globally threatened Puerto Rican Nightjar (Caprimulgus noctitherus) and Elfin-woods Warbler (Setophaga angelae). It also supports populations of many Neotropical migratory birds, and 18 restricted-range species including the Puerto Rican Tody (Todus mexicanus), which is the charismatic species featured on the branding of coffee being produced by participating farmers. The IBA is also recognized as a Key Biodiversity Area in recognition of its importance for plants, bats, reptiles and amphibians.

The Shade-grown Coffee Round Table is made up of representatives from national and federal government, NGOs and farmers, and is developing the criteria for certification of the ecological shade-grown coffee. They have identified a niche for an organization with expertise in bird conservation and agri-tourism to develop workshops for farmers, establish bird monitoring plots and train farmers in birdwatching. With this niche in mind, Cafiesencia, the leading NGO of the Round Table, has invited SOPI to participate in this initiative and start by establishing of bird monitoring plots. By signing this agreement, both organizations will work with coffee-farming communities to implement best practices that benefit birds, the forests and people. "It is important to maintain agriculture and conservation in harmony as they will both benefit each other in the long term," said Lisette Fas, Executive Director of Cafiescencia.

SOPI is supporting the production and marketing of this shade-grown coffee as it represents an important means of conserving birds (through the maintenance of the shade-providing canopy trees) and securing a premium price, thereby improving the livelihoods of the farmers. Ela M. Cruz, SOPI's Executive Director, said: "If the recommended best practices are adopted by the farmers, these farms will provide excellent buffer zones and wildlife corridors to the adjacent protected areas, and protect an important watershed. In return, the biodiversity — including the birds — will provide pest control and pollination services, and the coffee that is produced will command a premium price." In parallel to working on best practices, SOPI will also promote birding in these farms as an additional income-generating activity which will reinforce this production system as a win-win for both the farmers and biodiversity.

For more information about SOPI's conservation work, please visit their website atwww.avesdepuertorico.org.

During the last few decades, the population of British House Sparrows has declined by roughly half, causing great alarm among both scientists and the general public. However, the latest data from the British Trust for Ornithology's (BTO) Garden BirdWatch, suggests that the decline is levelling off in our gardens.

The decline of the House Sparrow has been dramatic, falling from around 12 million British pairs in the 1970s to between six and seven million pairs currently, with a greater reduction in population size in urban and rural areas, than in suburban ones. Given that gardens are thought to be a particularly valuable habitat for our House Sparrows, it is encouraging that the latest BTO Garden BirdWatch data indicate that numbers are stabilizing, which is also reflected in data from the wider countryside.

The reasons behind the decline very much depend on population location, as House Sparrows are fairly sedentary birds. Populations across Britain were affected by loss of nesting sites and food sources, especially the lack of invertebrates to feed their young. However, in rural areas, changes in farming practices are thought to have had a large effect but in urban and suburban populations causes were more complex and may have included increased competition with other birds and increased pesticide use in gardens.

Clare Simm, from the BTO Garden Ecology Team, said: "This complexity is also reflected in the factors that are driving the change in this delightful bird's fortunes. We are a nation of wildlife lovers and more people are now managing their gardens for wildlife, which will be benefitting our House Sparrows. There is also a greater awareness of clean feeding stations and in reducing garden pesticide use. The combination of these factors could be helping the House Sparrow to maintain its population."

This news does not necessarily mean that House Sparrows are out of danger, as the turning point has only occurred in the last few years. Clare Simm has recommended five simple things that anyone can do in their gardens to encourage House Sparrows:

• Let an area of your garden go wild to encourage insects
• Plant species such as hawthorn and Ivy which provide thick vegetation for House Sparrows to hide in
• Provide your birds with a home, using either a House Sparrow terrace or a group of nest boxes (with 32mm entrance holes) near the eaves of your house
• If you feed your birds, provide them with a suitable seed mix that includes large grains
• Regularly clean your feeding stations to prevent disease

You can find out more about the Garden BirdWatch on the BTO website.

It is a question people have pondered for centuries: how do migrating birds
navigate between breeding and wintering grounds? Do they have some genetic GPS
to steer them along time-honoured routes, or do they learn the way from parents
or elders in migrating flocks? New research shows that, in the case of the
endangered Whooping Crane of North America, the birds do learn routes from older and more experienced companions — and all of them become better at navigating with age and experience.

University of Maryland ecologist Thomas Mueller and colleagues took advantage
of eight years of detailed migration data compiled on birds bred in captivity
and released in Wisconsin's Necedah National Wildlife Refuge for a journey to
their Florida breeding grounds. Flying groups that include a migration-savvy
seven-year-old crane veer off course 38% less often than groups in which the
oldest birds are only a year old, according to an eight-year study of Whooping
Crane migration between Wisconsin and Florida. On average, the one-year-olds
that don't follow older birds veer off the flight path by 60 miles (97km). But
the cranes' migration ability improves steadily with age, the study shows.
Groups with even one of these older birds deviate less than 40 miles (64km), on
average, from the most efficient route.

 Other likely variables for navigation success, including gender and the size
of flying groups, appeared to make no difference in the results. Mueller, a
co-author of the study, and his team theorized that the older birds recognize
landmarks better and may also know how best to cope with bad weather — two
skills they apparently pass on to the young birds that follow their lead. "As
the oldest bird in the flying group gets older, it seems that there's dramatic
improvement in its migratory efficiency for about the first five years," Mueller
said. "There is a very big difference if the oldest bird in a flying group is
one or two years old or if it's five or six or seven years old. A bird can be
pretty young and still have great success," he added, "as long as it flies with
a bird that is pretty old."

What's new?
Previous studies have suggested that learning plays some role among migrating
species. However, as Mueller cited, what is new here is that learning takes
place over a number of years and the older birds are crucial to the development
of the younger birds. Mueller explained: "That was difficult to look at before
because the data simply didn't exist. Usually tracking data on animals lasts for
a year or two years if you're lucky."

As part of unprecedented efforts to save and reintroduce the species,
scientists collected data to gauge the success of breeding, training, and the
birds' subsequent 1,300-mile (2,100km) migration. Individual birds were
identified and tracked with satellite transmitters, radiotelemetry, and human
observers. "Usually you don't even know if a bird is two or three or four years
old," Mueller continued. "There are lots of [previous] comparisons between
juveniles and adults, but here we had the full progression of many years as well
as the information of how old the birds were, how they were related to one
another, and exactly where and when they migrated."

What does this mean?
The Whooping Crane research is important new evidence showing how bird
migration is, at least in part, a learned skill. But it won't put to rest the
long-running debate on the respective roles played by genetics and social
learning.

 In fact, Mueller said, the study suggests an interesting combination of
genetics and learned behaviour at work. It begins when the time comes for the
cranes' first autumn flight to their southern wintering grounds and the
captive-bred animals are actually guided by humans who fly ultralight aircraft
all the way to Florida. "If you think about even that initial migration, it
needs to be at least somewhat learned," he explained. "They may have a natural
tendency to migrate in the fall, but we don't think many would get anywhere
where they could survive without some training."

 But genetics do begin to play a more easily visible role on the return trip,
he added. "Then after they've been shown the route once, in the spring they know
it's time to initiate a return and there's a genetic component in play there.
Because nobody has showed them this, so it's genetics combined with the learned
knowledge from the trip south in the fall."

 What's next?
Co-author Sarah Converse, a research scientist with the U.S. Geological
Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, has worked extensively with the
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, which runs the eastern migratory population
reintroduction program. She said: "Our results suggest that an effort to restore
Whooping Crane populations isn't just an effort to restore a biological
population, but also an effort to restore a culture, where knowledge is
transmitted across generations via learning, rather than genetics."

 "We can imagine that the low breeding success that we are currently
struggling with in this reintroduced population might actually improve over
time, with increased experience and learning of appropriate breeding behaviours.
For example, maybe chicks learn from their parents how to themselves be
successful parents. Overall, these results suggest that patience may well be
important if we hope to restore migratory Whooping Cranes to eastern North
America."

Tadcaster police and the RSPB are appealing for information after a Red Kite was poisoned in the area. The bird was found at Toulston Polo Ground, Tadcaster in October 2012, by a member of the public who contacted Yorkshire Red Kites, who in turn reported the suspected poisoning to North Yorkshire Police.

Following a post-mortem examination and forensic testing it was found to have
died from the illegal poison Carbofuran, which was banned in 2001. The RSPB have offered a £1,000 reward for anyone who can provide information that leads to the arrest and charging of those responsible for the bird's death.

Between 2002 and 2011, there were 292 confirmed cases of birds of prey being
killed by Carbofuran poisoning in England. PC Sarah Ward of Tadcaster Safer
Neighbourhood Team said: "This crime is appalling. The use of Carbofuran is both
unlawful and highly dangerous. It is highly toxic and a few granules could kill.
Someone has put Carbofuran into the countryside unlawfully, risking the lives of
people, domesticated animals and wildlife. I urge anyone with information to
contact the police or RSPB immediately."

The Red Kite that died was hatched in Wales in 2009 and is believed to be one
of a breeding pair that first bred at Tadcaster Grammar School in 2012. They are
the first-known Welsh-born Red Kites to have bred in Yorkshire.

 Bob Elliot, RSPB Head of Investigations, said: "Since their successful
release back into the Yorkshire countryside in 1999, Red Kites have suffered at
the hands of illegal poisoning in North Yorkshire with this incident being the
twentieth poisoned Kite since 2000." Mr Elliot added: "Birds of prey are still
being targeted by those intent on killing our most protected species and it is
simply not acceptable to still be finding poisoned, trapped and shot raptors in
our countryside."

 Doug Simpson, Yorkshire Red Kites Coordinator, said: "The loss of any bird
through illegal poisoning is a big disappointment. It is particularly
disappointing in this case, with this kite being of Welsh origin and the first
from that source known to have bred in Yorkshire."

 Anyone who can help to identify those responsible for this poisoning should
contact Tadcaster police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Sarah Ward. You can
also contact the RSPB on 0845 4663636 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800
555111.

A rare sighting of a marked Spoon-billed Sandpiper on migration was reported last weekend from Rudong mudflats north of Shanghai. The critically endangered bird was identified by a lime green plastic flag on its leg marked '01' that was
attached by scientists from Birds Russia on its breeding grounds this
summer.

Conservationists know that this bird 'Lime 01' fathered six fledglings this
summer — three that were hand-reared by conservationists and three that he
raised himself — which is 10 times the average for the species.

 In all, this summer sixteen hand-reared Spoon-billed Sandpiper fledglings and
eight adults were marked with uniquely inscribed plastic leg flags. Birdwatchers
are being asked to report all sightings of Spoon-billed Sandpipers.

Coordinator of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force, Christoph Zöckler,
said: "The Rudong mudflats are an extremely important stop-over site for the
Spoon-billed Sandpiper to rest and feed and it is very exciting news that our
Russian breeding birds have been sighted there. Unfortunately these mudflats,
like much coastal wetland along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, are
threatened by the development. Alongside illegal trapping and hunting, it has
pushed these birds to the edge."

 WWT Head of Species Conservation Department, Baz Hughes, said: "This is why
we're taking extreme measures to prevent its extinction: hand-rearing chicks to
boost numbers, but Spoon-billed Sandpipers rely on the help of so many people.
Reports like this are only possible thanks to the support of birdwatchers
throughout Asia and are an invaluable part of its conservation."

Rudong mudflats are the most significant known staging post in China for
Spoon-billed Sandpipers, where 106 individuals were counted last year in
October. Demand for land is high in the region, which is only 150km from
Shanghai, and land has already been reclaimed from the marshes at Dongling to
the southern end.

Pavel Tomkovich of Birds Russia, who caught and marked the bird with Nikolai
Yakushev, said: "When I marked 'Lime 01' I wondered if anybody would ever see it
on its travels, almost a quarter of the way round the world, as looking for
Spoon-billed Sandpipers can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Looking
for marked birds is even more difficult as we were only able to mark eight adult
birds with these unique flags. Thanks to the reports of local birdwatchers,
we're learning their stopover points."

 'Lime 01' was seen leaving the breeding grounds on 4th August and was seen
5,000km away at Rudong on 31st August. Spoon-billed Sandpipers can cover as much
as 1,000km per day, leaving around three weeks during which it may have been
staging elsewhere

BTO Head of Projects, Nigel Clark, said: "We've known for a few years that
they stop at Rudong mudflats and we hope to be able to protect it. But our
calculations indicate that 'Lime 01' probably stopped somewhere else for up to
three weeks before reaching Rudong. We want to find out where that is in case it
is under threat."

 Zhang Lin of the "Spoon-billed Sandpiper in China" Team said: "The first
Spoon-billed Sandpiper arrived at Rudong about two weeks ago since when I have
been regularly scanning the increasing numbers of waders at the high-tide roost
at Rudong. When I glimpsed a bird on 31st August that looked like it had a lime
green leg flag I knew something exciting was in front of me. On closer
inspection it turned out to be 'Lime 01'. I was over the moon as this is the
first time that one of the birds marked in 2013 has been seen in China. It is
amazing to see how these little but critically endangered birds are connecting
our key sites along the flyway between Russia and China. They are very important
as they allow us to track whether efforts to save the species are working."

 Guidance on reporting Spoon-billed Sandpiper sightings is available from the
East-Asian Australasian Flyway Partnership Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force www.eaaflyway.net/spoon-billed-sandpiper.php. To
follow the progress of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper conservation breeding
programme visit www.saving-spoon-billed-sandpiper.com.

For first time since Middle Ages, Common Cranes have raised young in Scotland, on a farm whose precise location has been withheld.

The striking wading birds have successfully raised two chicks within the last two years in North-East Scotland, said the RSPB, indicating conditions could be right for the species to recolonise Scotland.

Small but increasing numbers of the migratory birds, which spend summer in northern Europe and winter in southern France and Spain, have passed through Britain in recent years and a small breeding population became established in Norfolk in 1979, with further breeding in Suffolk. However, these are the first confirmed successful nests north of the border for hundreds of years.

Common Crane once bred regularly in Scotland but died out about 400 years ago, primarily due to being hunted for mediaeval  tables. Habitat loss and a slow reproductive cycle may have also contributed to the species' disappearance.

The species, which favours large wetland areas such as lowland peat bogs with an abundance of pools, appears to be benefitting from farming methods in the area which provide plentiful invertebrates, grain and other foods, as well as the right conditions to breed and successfully raise chicks.

Stuart Housden, Director of RSPB Scotland said: “We are stunned and delighted to see that Common Cranes have bred successfully in Scotland. These charming, elegant birds have a strong place in our myths and history and are a delight to see, particularly during the breeding season with their 'dancing' displays. They undertake regular migrations and small numbers have turned up on the east coast of Scotland in recent years, raising hopes of a recolonisation. Last year a pair reared one chick, followed by a second chick in 2013.

“Thanks to the co-operation of farmers in the area, the conditions appear to be right for cranes to take up residence and it is possible that more will choose to re-establish themselves in the country in future.

“We have been working with local farmers, landowners and the community to monitor these fantastic birds. Despite their size and flamboyant breeding displays, cranes are secretive birds and are very sensitive to disturbance and  we ask that they be given space and peace so they may establish a breeding population in Scotland.”

To minimise risk of disturbance, the exact location of the nest site has not be revealed. The British breeding population stood at 17 pairs in 2011. In addition to natural re-colonisation, a re-introduction project began in 2010 on the Somerset Levels, the result of a partnership between RSPB, WWT, Pensthorpe Conservation Trust and Viridor Credits.

RSPB’s Loch of Strathbeg nature reserve, a major coastal wetland near Fraserburgh, is visited by cranes on spring migration and offers the best opportunity to see them doing their ‘dancing’ displays. 

The safety tens of thousands of swans and geese in the UK could be improved by new research into collisions with power lines, which started this week with the installation of more than 150 special bird diverters in Lancashire.

Flying collisions are the most commonly recorded cause of death for swans, whose size means they have poor manoeuvrability in flight. Bird diverters are special attachments to the lines that help make them stand out to birds in flight. For the first time, a partnership between Electricity North West, Lancaster University and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) is studying the efficiency of different types of diverter, alongside agricultural, weather and landscape factors that affect birds' flights. The study area around WWT Martin Mere in Lancashire is the winter home of 30,000 Pink-footed Geese and 2,500 Whooper Swans and has been identified as a sensitive area for collisions.
Dr Eileen Rees, Head of UK Waterbird Conservation for WWT, said: "Tens of thousands of migratory geese and swans make the UK's wetlands their winter homes. Collisions with power lines are a major cause of death for them, so WWT is delighted to be working with Electricity North West to make Lancashire, and the UK as a whole, a safer place for them. Through this innovative partnership we aim to gather evidence for solutions that work in our modern landscape. As well as reducing the risk to swans and geese, the results of the study should help electricity suppliers throughout the UK provide their service with fewer unnecessary interruptions."

Steve Cox, future network manager for Electricity North West, added: "We hope that the diverters and our subsequent research will go on to help birds and electricity customers across the UK. By working closely with WWT Martin Mere we discovered this was a sensitive section of the network as it was located in a known flight path and we are delighted to be able to help protect these wonderful birds. By limiting the chances of any collisions, the special diverters will also reduce any possible impact on customer power supplies."

Dr Ian Hartley, a Senior Lecturer at the Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University and a behavioural ecology expert, commented: "This is a great opportunity and we are very pleased to be working with new partners on a project of such high calibre which is going to have a large impact on the area around where the geese and swans winter. One of our Master's students will work on the project for a year and our input will be to add knowledge on the analysis and geographic information systems aspects."

Throughout this winter, the study will closely observe the flight behaviour of geese and swans in and around WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre. It will determine the importance of features such as tree lines, the choice of crops and the wind direction on the birds' choice of flight line and height.

For more information about Electricity North West please visit www.enwl.co.uk, and for further information about WWT see www.wwt.org.uk.

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is appealing
  for information after a Red Kite was found with severe injuries in South
  Lanarkshire, having been shot, while the RSPB in Northern Ireland is calling
for  witnesses after a dead bird was discovered in the Castlewellan area on 14
  August.
Scotland's animal welfare charity was alerted on 8 August when a
  member of the public discovered the bird in the village of Leadhills.
  Unfortunately, the juvenile female Red Kite was suffering to such an extent
that  the kindest and only humane option was to put it to sleep. Post-mortem
results  confirmed that the bird was shot.
Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said:  “This bird was caused a great deal of pain and suffering as a result of being  shot. Sadly, she was so badly injured that she would not have been able to make  a recovery.
"As well as being cruel, injuring a wild
bird is a criminal  offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and we
are very keen to  speak to anyone who has information about this
incident.”
Anyone with  information is being urged to contact the
Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000  999 999. Calls are treated in the
strictest confidence and information can be  left anonymously.
The bird in Co Down is the fourth killed there this  year, representing 30 per cent of the total breeding population in the province.  The bird's body has been
submitted to the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute  for a post-mortem. 
It is strongly suspected that it, and the other birds, fell  victim to
poison.
Of the four deceased birds, two were breeding males,  one was a
breeding female and one was a juvenile. Sadly, the female was found  dead in the
nest where she was incubating two eggs, meaning the chicks inside  also
perished.
Adam McClure, Red Kite Officer for the RSPB, said: All  birds
of prey are protected under the law, but unfortunately this doesn’t always  mean
that they are safe from poison.
“We do not know what caused the  deaths
of these four birds as yet and are eagerly awaiting the post-mortem  results
dating back as far as January. However we suspect that they did not die  of
natural causes.”
Anyone who has information about the deaths of the
  birds is asked to contact the Police Service of Northern Ireland on 0845 600
  8000 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Red Kites were  once ubiquitous across Britain, but were hunted almost to their total loss as a  breeding species, with just a handful of pairs left in South Wales by the 20th  century. Successful reintroduction programmes have seen numbers increase across  England and Scotland, but the species still suffers from persecution and remains  vulnerable in Northern Ireland.