Eat wild venison to support native woodland birds, says ecologist

Date: April 10, 2017

Source: University of Nottingham

Wild deer in Britain should be hunted for venison to drastically reduce their populations and support the re-emergence of our native woodland birds, according to an academic at The University of Nottingham.

The comments follow the publication of a new study in the Journal of Applied Ecology which suggests that huge deer populations in England are damaging the important natural habitat which many ground-nesting woodland birds require.

Dr Markus Eichhorn in the University's School of Life Sciences, an expert in ecology, said: "Deer populations are at extraordinarily high levels due to a combination of factors including the absence of large predators, a decline in hunting and the autumn sowing of crops that produce winter food for foraging animals.

"It is clear from our research that if we want to encourage more woodland birds then we need to take action to restore the woodland structures they require but in many areas it will need a drastic reduction in deer to have any real impact.

"We should not think of it in terms of a cull. We already eat venison in Britain but a large proportion of that is farmed meat. If wild-caught deer appeared on our menus or in the local butchers it would encourage people to eat venison as readily as beef or lamb and would help conservation in our woodland areas."

The experts at Nottingham were commissioned the Government department Defra in 2008 following a call for consortia which could study the causes behind the decline of woodland birds such as the nightingale, marsh tit, willow tit and lesser spotted woodpecker in the UK.

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Willow tit and lesser spotted woodpecker on at-risk list

Two once-widespread woodland species of British birds have been put on the endangered list after a steep decline in their numbers.
Populations of the willow tit and lesser spotted woodpecker have dropped by 91% and 76% respectively since the 1970s, the RSPB said.

It is not clear why the species are declining; however, experts believe woodland changes may be playing a role.

The birds will now be monitored to find out why they are struggling to survive.

The Rare Breeding Birds Panel has also added the long-eared owl, short-eared owl and Arctic skua to the list of species it now considers to be at risk.

Mark Eaton from the RSPB said: "It is tragic to think that within many people's memories these woodland birds were so widespread and now they are so rare.

"Since the 1970s, we've lost nine out of 10 pairs of willow tits and three out of four pairs of lesser spotted woodpecker, and in many areas these birds have disappeared completely."

'Essential snapshot'
The RSPB said the declines were "extremely alarming", with the birds disappearing altogether from counties where they were once found.

Experts say a lack of suitable management of forests which would allow new growth and provide birds with dead and decaying timber may be having an impact.

Willow tits may also be hit by wooded areas drying out.

Experts are now tracking 103 species of rare birds which regularly or occasionally nest in the UK.

They are calling on bird watchers to submit records if they see any of the birds which are on the at-risk register.

The panel's secretary Mark Holling said: "With so many species in trouble, these reports provide an essential snapshot of how our most threatened birds are faring.

"Whether it's the spectacular increase of the red kite, or the near extinction of the wryneck and the red-backed shrike, our information arms conservation groups and government agencies to help our rarest and most vulnerable birds."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14815987