The cirl bunting is one of England's rarest farmland birds, now restricted to south Devon after near-extinction in the 20th century. Its welfare depends on traditional mixed farming practices.
Cirl buntings face nutritional stress when insect-rich rough grassland and overwinter stubble are absent from farmland. Chicks raised without sufficient grasshoppers and beetles show poor growth and reduced survival. Cold wet springs cause high nest failure rates. The welfare of individual birds is directly tied to landscape-scale habitat quality maintained through farmer cooperation with agri-environment schemes.