Rare bird fights back with a bit of help from its friends

Wild grey partridges should be widespread across the British countryside, but according to recent Defra figures, the population of this cherished farmland bird has fallen a further 20 percent and is now suffering local extinction in many areas of the country.

In an effort to boost dwindling numbers, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) are spearheading an inspiring joint initiative to save this iconic species.

Although the partridge population has suffered a catastrophic 86 percent decline over the past 40 years, new monitoring by GWCT shows that two years of good weather in many parts of the country has helped this iconic bird make an astonishing 26 percent comeback on shooting estates, which are creating the right wildlife habitats by providing food and protecting this vulnerable ground-nesting bird from generalist predators.

Dr Nicholas Aeibisher, from GWCT said, "The simple reason for this shocking result is that we have suffered two really appalling wet summers in 2007 and 2008.  Young partridge chicks, when they first hatch can die rapidly from hyperthermia when it is constantly wet. Partridges have now benefited from two good summers and where the right conditions are being provided our monitoring shows that they can bounce back."

To ripple this positive effect to more areas of land and save this bird from more local extinctions, GWCT and the CLA are holding countrywide regional grey partridge awareness meetings in various areas of the country this Autumn. The aim of these meetings is to provide expert advice and inspire landowners and farmers to save the grey by becoming actively involved in partridge conservation.

CLA President William Worsley said: "Landowners are very aware of the pressure on our indigenous partridge population and the need for urgent action to encourage and manage habitat where grey partridge can thrive.

"Seeing how other sporting estates and farms manage their land successfully to conserve this threatened bird helps to spread the word and this management counts towards the Campaign for the Farmed Environment. We hope these events will attract widespread interest and, most importantly, inspire action."

To inspire action to "Save the Grey", events will be held on:

• Wednesday 22 September – Cumbria & North Lancashire group at Brackenburgh Estate near Penrith (by kind permission of John Harris);

• Thursday 23 September – Northumberland group at Bilton Farm near Alnwick (by kind permission of Ian Tulip);

GWCT is also keen to enlist more people onto its Partridge Count Scheme (PCS).  This free scheme provides extensive advice to landowners interested in boosting their threatened partridge population.  The PCS, which is one of the largest farmer-led monitoring schemes in Europe, also provides a detailed account of how the partridge population is faring in areas managed by its count scheme members.

Grey partridges, which were once common across the country, have specific management requirements, Dr Aebisher explains, "The Trust has been researching the issues facing grey partridges for the past 40 years.  No other farmland bird has had such a vast amount of money and research dedicated to its survival.  We now have the expertise and science to target their specific needs but if we are to restore the fortunes of this once familiar farmland bird then a much larger community of farmers, landowners and conservationists needs to be mobilised."

Targeting their specific requirement means providing 'round the year' management of farmland for partridges by creating nesting, brood-rearing and winter and spring cover as well as providing extra over-winter food and predator control during the nesting period.

For further information on these grey partridge meetings, please phone Lynda Ferguson on 01425 651013 or email: advisory@gwct.org.uk or visit the Trust's website: www.gwct.org.uk/courses