Wildlife

Wild Corn Bunting Farmland Welfare

Corn buntings are one of the UK's most severely declined farmland birds, dependent on cereal crops and insect-rich field margins for breeding and winter food.

Key Facts

UK corn bunting populations declined by 90% between 1970 and 2020
They require cereal fields for nesting and insect-rich margins for chick rearing
Winter flocks of corn buntings require unharvested cereal grain or wild bird cover crops
Agri-environment scheme uptake at landscape scale has shown population recovery in some areas
Corn bunting territories cluster in landscapes with good connectivity between suitable field types

Welfare Considerations

Corn bunting welfare recovery requires landscape-scale agri-environment management that creates connectivity between nesting and foraging habitats. Targeted scheme uptake at landscape scale delivers population-level welfare improvement.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes creating wild bird cover crops and insect-rich margins
Advocate for landscape-scale agri-environment targeting where corn bunting recovery programmes exist
Record corn bunting sightings through BTO surveys to support population monitoring