Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensis
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Distribution Britain 2,539 (-3.2%) Ireland 945 (-5.5%)
Numbers breeding: Britain 1,900,000 Ireland 900,000 European status: 9,000,000 (32% in Britain and Ireland =1) British population trend: declines after huge increases (-28% CBC){-20%} How likely are you to record it? 1356 squares (30.2%) Ranked 34 [16] |
This is one of the species that bred 'everywhere' in the 19th century but, even then, they were not breeding in lowland arable farmland. They have always had their stronghold in upland rough grassland, heathland, young forestry, uncultivated areas and salt marsh. In Scotland and Ireland they breed commonly on the remotest islands of the north and west but the second Breeding Atlas logged losses from the south-east half of Ireland and from much of lowland England. These losses may, at least in part, be to do with the intensification of agriculture and consequent loss of waste and rough grazing areas. Of considerable surprise were the results from breeding season surveys of 19 remote and unaltered plots in the Flow Country of Caithness and Sutherland, between 1988 and 1995, which showed an overall decline of 46% in registrations (see Skylark page 216). The NRS shows a recent increase in egg stage nest failures but the young stage seems to have become more successful over the last 25 years. Still very common but we should be rather worried.
Hancock, M. & Avery, M. 1998 Scottish Birds: 19, 195-205.
From
The
State of the Nations Birds
Copyright © 2000 by Chris Mead