Cirl Bunting Welfare and Devon Recovery

The cirl bunting is now confined almost entirely to south Devon after a catastrophic decline that left only 118 pairs in 1989. Recovery to over 1,000 pairs is one of RSPB's greatest success stories.

Key Facts

Cirl buntings declined from tens of thousands of pairs to 118 in 1989 due to agricultural intensification
Recovery to 1,000+ pairs by 2010 followed RSPB agri-environment scheme collaboration with Devon farmers
They require mixed farmland with beetle banks, winter stubble and thick hedges
RSPCA and RSPB cirl bunting translocation established a new population in Cornwall
Recovery now faces the challenge of climate change altering insect availability for chick feeding

Welfare Considerations

Cirl bunting chick welfare depends on grassland insect availability in June-July — particularly grasshoppers, which are a primary chick food. The decline of mixed farming and rough grassland has reduced grasshopper abundance across lowland Devon. Agri-environment payments for beetle banks, diverse grass leys and uncut hedge bases directly benefit the invertebrate communities that cirl bunting chicks require. The recovery demonstrates what targeted, farmer-focused conservation delivers.

What You Can Do

Support RSPB Devon cirl bunting monitoring and agri-environment scheme promotion
Donate to RSPB rural conservation in Devon to maintain the recovery trajectory
Advocate for adequate funding for agri-environment schemes supporting cirl bunting habitat
Visit South Devon and report cirl bunting sightings to RSPB and BTO BirdTrack
Engage with South West England agri-environment delivery bodies on cirl bunting conservation