Birds of Conservation Importance - JNCC 1996
In May 1996 the JNCC published a list of bird species that due
to their international status or their declining national
populations are of conservation importance in Britain. This list is
Birds of Conservation Importance and it outlines current priorities
for ornithological conservation effort by the statutory nature
conservation agencies. The JNCC believes priority for action should
be given to:
- globally threatened species
- rapidly declining and nationally uncommon species, and
- rapidly declining species
An important part of this listing is that rapidly declining,
but still relatively common, species are grouped separately,
recognising the need for an appropriate suite of actions to be
directed at this group of mainly farmland species.
Production of this list is a positive step forward for bird
conservation and will particularly help the target-setting
initiatives that are underway as a result of the UK Biodiversity
Action Plan.
The list of Birds of Conservation Importance arises from a
joint statutory agency-NGO working group, which collated and
analysed data on British and European bird populations. The members
of the working group were representatives from the JNCC, Royal
Society for Protection of Birds, British Trust for Ornithology and
BirdLife International.
Birds of Conservation Importance is in the form of
four tables:
- IUCN Globally threatened species (Table 1)
- Uncommon, and rapidly or historically, declining British
breeding birds (Table 2)
- Rapidly declining, but common, British breeding birds (Table 3)
- Moderately declining, historically declining but common,
internationally important, localised or 'threatened in Europe'
British bird species (Table
4)
Table 1. IUCN Globally threatened
species.
These species require monitoring
of populations and the preparation of International Species Action
Plans to ensure effective conservation.
|
Species
|
QUALIFYING
CRITERION
|
OTHER CRITERIA
APPLYING
|
|
Aquatic warbler
|
Global
|
8
|
|
Corncrake
|
Global
|
1, 2, 3, 4
|
|
Scottish crossbill
|
Global
|
5,7
|
LEGEND FOR TABLE 1
Some of the criteria 'qualify'
the species for inclusion on Table 1, other criteria apply to the
species and are included above for information.
|
Global
|
Classified as 'Globally
threatened' by IUCN
|
|
1
|
Decline - extensive (>50%) decline in GB breeding population
over previous 25 years and with population of <100,000 |
|
2
|
Decline - extensive (>50%) decline in GB breeding range over
previous 25 years and with population of <100,000 |
|
3
|
Decline - historical population decline during and since the
19th Century, and with a population of <100,000 |
|
4
|
Rare breeder - 5-year running mean of 0.8-300 breeding pairs in
GB |
|
5
|
International - significant proportion (>20%) of European
breeding population found in GB |
|
6
|
International - significant proportion (>20%) of European
non-breeding popn found in GB |
|
7
|
Localised - >50% of GB breeding population in ten or fewer
sites |
|
8
|
Localised - >50% of GB non-breeding population in ten or
fewer sites |
|
9
|
Species of European Concern - Species of Global Conservation
Concern or unfavourable European conservation status |
BIRDS OF CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE
JNCC 1996
Table 2. Uncommon and, rapidly or
historically, declining British breeding
birds.
These species require monitoring
of populations and the preparation of Species Action Plans to
ensure effective conservation.
Species
|
QUALIFYING
CRITERIA
|
OTHER CRITERIA APPLYING
|
|
Bittern
|
1, 2, 3
|
4, 9
|
|
Black grouse
|
3
|
9
|
|
Black-tailed godwit
|
3
|
4, 8
|
|
Capercaillie
|
2
|
|
|
Chough
|
3
|
7,9
|
|
Cirl bunting
|
2
|
4
|
|
Corn bunting
|
1, 3
|
|
|
Dartford warbler
|
3
|
7, 9
|
|
Hen harrier
|
3
|
9
|
|
Marsh harrier
|
3
|
4
|
|
Marsh warbler
|
1
|
4
|
|
Merlin
|
3
|
|
|
Nightjar
|
2
|
9
|
|
Osprey
|
3
|
4, 9
|
|
Quail
|
3
|
|
|
Red kite
|
3
|
4
|
|
Red-backed shrike
|
1, 2, 3
|
4, 9
|
|
Red-necked phalarope
|
3
|
4
|
|
Roseate tern
|
1
|
4, 9
|
|
Stone curlew
|
1
|
4, 9
|
|
Turtle dove
|
1
|
9
|
|
White-tailed eagle
|
3
|
4, 9
|
|
Woodlark
|
2
|
7, 9
|
|
Wryneck
|
2, 3
|
9
|
LEGEND FOR TABLE 2
Some of the criteria 'qualify'
the species for inclusion on Table 2, other criteria apply to the
species and are included above for information.
|
1
|
Decline - extensive (>50%) decline in GB breeding population
over previous 25 years and with population of <100,000 breeding
adults |
|
2
|
Decline - extensive (>50%) decline in GB breeding range over
previous 25 years and with population of <100,000 breeding
adults |
|
3
|
Decline - historical population decline during and since the
19th Century, and with a population of <100,000 |
|
4
|
Rare breeder - 5-year running mean of 0.8-300 breeding pairs in
GB |
|
5
|
International - significant proportion (>20%) of European
breeding population found in GB |
|
6
|
International - significant proportion (>20%) of European
non-breeding popn found in GB |
|
7
|
Localised - >50% of GB breeding population in ten or fewer
sites |
|
8
|
Localised - >50% of GB non-breeding population in ten or
fewer site |
|
9
|
Species of European Concern - Species of Global Conservation
Concern or unfavourable European conservation status |
BIRDS OF CONSERVATION
IMPORTANCE
JNCC 1996
Table 3. Rapidly declining, but common, British breeding
birds.
For these species the JNCC and
country agencies will, in collaboration with NGOs, investigate
causes of decline and consider their conservation requirements and,
where appropriate, prepare Species Action Plans to ensure effective
conservation.
Species
|
QUALIFYING CRITERIA
|
|
Bullfinch
|
1
|
|
Grey partridge
|
1
|
|
Linnet
|
1
|
|
Reed bunting
|
1
|
|
Skylark
|
1
|
|
Song thrush
|
1
|
|
Spotted flycatcher
|
1
|
|
Tree sparrow
|
1
|
LEGEND FOR TABLE 3
|
1
|
Decline - extensive (>50%) decline in GB breeding population
or range over previous 25 years, but with a population still
greater than 100,000 breeding adults |
BIRDS OF CONSERVATION
IMPORTANCE
JNCC 1996
Table 4.
Moderately declining, historically declining but common,
internationally important, localised or 'threatened in Europe'
British bird species.
These species require monitoring of populations and, where
appropriate, the preparation of Species Action Plans to ensure
effective conservation.
Species
|
QUALIFYING CRITERIA
|
|
Avocet
|
7, 8, 9
|
|
Barnacle goose
|
6, 8
|
|
Barn owl
|
2, 9
|
|
Bar-tailed godwit
|
6, 8, 9
|
|
Bean goose
|
8
|
|
Bearded tit
|
7
|
|
Bewick's swan
|
8, 9
|
|
Blackbird
|
2
|
|
Black guillemot
|
9
|
|
Black-necked grebe
|
4
|
|
Black redstart
|
4
|
|
Black-throated diver
|
4, 9
|
|
Black-winged stilt
|
4
|
|
Brent goose
|
6, 8, 9
|
|
Cetti's warbler
|
4
|
|
Common gull
|
9
|
|
Common scoter
|
4, 8
|
|
Crane
|
4, 9
|
|
Crested tit
|
7
|
|
Curlew
|
5, 6, 9
|
|
Dotterel
|
7
|
|
Dunlin
|
6, 8, 9
|
|
Dunnock
|
2
|
|
Eider
|
8
|
|
Fieldfare
|
4
|
|
Firecrest
|
4
|
|
Gadwall
|
6, 8, 9
|
|
Gannet
|
5, 7, 9
|
|
Garganey
|
4, 9
|
|
Golden eagle
|
9
|
|
Goldeneye
|
4, 8
|
|
Golden plover
|
6
|
|
Golden oriole
|
4
|
|
Goldfinch
|
2
|
|
Goshawk
|
4
|
|
Grasshopper warbler
|
2
|
|
Great northern diver
|
6
|
|
Great skua
|
5, 7
|
|
Greenshank
|
7
|
|
Green woodpecker
|
9
|
|
Grey plover
|
6, 8
|
|
Greylag goose
|
6, 8
|
|
Guillemot
|
5, 7
|
|
Hawfinch
|
2
|
|
Herring gull
|
2
|
|
Honey buzzard
|
4
|
|
Jack snipe
|
9
|
|
Kestrel
|
2, 9
|
|
Kingfisher
|
9
|
|
Knot
|
6, 8, 9
|
|
Lapwing
|
6
|
|
Leach's petrel
|
7, 9
|
|
Lesser black-backed gull
|
5, 7
|
|
Little gull
|
9
|
|
Little tern
|
9
|
|
Manx shearwater
|
5, 7, 9
|
|
Marsh tit
|
2
|
|
Mediterranean gull
|
4
|
|
Montagu's harrier
|
2, 4
|
|
Nightingale
|
2
|
|
Oystercatcher
|
6, 8
|
|
Parrot crossbill
|
4
|
|
Peregrine
|
9
|
|
Pink-footed goose
|
6, 8
|
|
Pintail
|
4, 6, 8, 9
|
|
Pochard
|
6, 8
|
|
Puffin
|
7, 9
|
|
Purple sandpiper
|
4, 6
|
|
Razorbill
|
7
|
|
Red-necked grebe
|
4
|
|
Redshank
|
6, 9
|
|
Red-throated diver
|
9
|
|
Redstart
|
9
|
|
Redwing
|
4
|
|
Ringed plover
|
6
|
|
Ring ouzel
|
2
|
|
Ruff
|
4, 8
|
|
Sand martin
|
9
|
|
Sandwich tern
|
7, 9
|
|
Savi's warbler
|
4
|
|
Scarlet rosefinch
|
4
|
|
Scaup
|
4, 9
|
|
Shag
|
5
|
|
Shelduck
|
5, 6, 8
|
|
Short-eared owl
|
9
|
|
Shoveler
|
6
|
|
Slavonian grebe
|
4
|
|
Snow bunting
|
4
|
|
Spotted crake
|
2, 4
|
|
Starling
|
2
|
|
Stock dove
|
5
|
|
Stonechat
|
9
|
|
Storm petrel
|
7, 9
|
|
Swallow
|
2, 9
|
|
Teal
|
6
|
|
Temminck's stint
|
4
|
|
Turnstone
|
6
|
|
Twite
|
3
|
|
Velvet scoter
|
8, 9
|
|
Water rail
|
2
|
|
Whimbrel
|
7
|
|
White-fronted goose
|
8
|
|
Whooper swan
|
4, 6, 8
|
|
Wigeon
|
6, 8
|
|
Willow tit
|
2
|
|
Wood sandpiper
|
4, 9
|
|
Woodcock
|
2, 9
|
LEGEND FOR TABLE 4
|
2
|
Decline - moderate (25-49%) decline in GB breeding population
or range over previous 25 years |
|
3
|
Decline - historical population decline during and since the
19th Century, and with a population of >100,000 |
|
4
|
Rare breeder - 5-year mean of 0.8-300 breeding pairs in GB |
|
5
|
International - significant proportion (>20%) of European
breeding population found in GB |
|
6
|
International - significant proportion (>20%) of European
non-breeding population found in GB |
|
7
|
Localised - >50% of GB breeding population in ten or fewer
sites |
|
8
|
Localised - >50% of GB non-breeding population in ten or
fewer sites |
|
9
|
Species of European Concern - Species with unfavourable
European conservation status |