Cuckoo fears

Tuesday, 20 July 2010 13:07 UK

Watch our short film showing the flight of the cuckoo

A survey has revealed a steep decline in the number of cuckoos in the south west.

The population has fallen by nearly three-quarters since the mid '90s.

Tony Whitehead is from the RSPB in the South West.

He says: "The cuckoo's iconic song was once a common sound over much of the region, heralding summer and the return of warmer weather.

"Nowadays though, you'll be unlikely to hear a cuckoo anywhere away from the region's uplands and heaths.

"The reasons for this decline, and why it's so sharp in the south west, are not entirely clear although other long distant migrants are facing similar declines."

It's not just the much loved cuckoo that seems to be in trouble. Wildlife conservationists are also concerned about the decline of kestrels and swifts in the region.

Tony says: "The sight of kestrels hovering over road verges, or the sounds of swifts screaming above our houses in high summer is becoming a lot less common.

"For kestrels, more research into their declines is needed. From the '70s to the '90s agricultural intensification had its effects on these birds, but over the past decade more and more farmers have put measures in place on their land to help wildlife. This is really paying off for many species, but the kestrel seems still to have problems.

"With swifts, virtually the whole UK population nests in buildings. However improvements and the removal of access to lofts and roof spaces mean that increasingly the birds have no-where to go.

"We are working hard with developers and individuals to encourage the fitting of special swift nest boxes into buildings or designing special places for the birds in roof spaces."

The Breeding Bird Survey was carried out by countless volunteers across the UK.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8837000/8837996.stm
(Submitted by Liz R)