Recent research shows more than one in four birds in Wales in serious trouble …

• The new Wales Birds of Conservation Concern lists: 60 species on the Red List which has doubled in length in 20 years.
• New additions include Rook, Swift, Greenfinch, Meadow Pipit and Gannet.
• Red Kite and Black Guillemot have been moved to the Green List for the first time.

The loss of half of the Welsh breeding population of Gannets sees them added to Wales’ Red List. The most recent review shows that the population of Wales’ largest Gannet colony on Grassholm crashed by 52% as a result of the 2022/23 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (bird flu) outbreak.

• Wales remains the most important country in the world for breeding Manx Shearwater, with up to 64% of the global population and stays on the Green List.
• Encouragingly, Black Guillemot moves to the Green List because of increased numbers in North Wales.

A new (2024) review of breeding seabirds undertaken by the RSPB on behalf of Natural Resources Wales, the British Trust for Ornithology and the Welsh Ornithological Society sees Gannets being added to the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern in Wales (BoCCW) for the first time. The Grassholm Special Protection Area (SPA), a small island 11 miles off St David’s Head in Pembrokeshire, had been home to up to 34,491 pairs of Gannets in 2022. It’s one of two Gannet colonies found in Wales and was the fourth largest in the UK. Prior to 2022, Grassholm held 6% of the world population of Gannets. However, a census carried out in July 2023 by RSPB Cymru and funded by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), showed that the number of Gannets nesting on the island had plunged dramatically. In 2022, 34,491 pairs were recorded on the island, but that fell to 16,482 pairs in 2023 – a 52% reduction. The population crash was due to deaths caused by the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak at the colony.

Anne Brenchley, Chair of the Welsh Ornithological Society said:
“The addition of Gannet to the Welsh Red List shows how quickly changes in population can come about due to the spread of diseases such as HPAI.”

Rachel Taylor, Senior Ecologist BTO Cymru added: “Like most seabirds, their (Gannets) low productivity and long lives mean they recover only slowly from major challenges – and especially so in the wider context of pressures on the marine environment”.

The review, published as an update to Birds of Conservation Concern Wales in Milvus, the journal of the Welsh Ornithological Society, also confirms that Wales remains the stronghold for breeding population of Manx Shearwater, with up to 64% of the global population, which stay on the Green List.

Today also sees the publication of the UK Birds of Conservation Concern report, in which five species of seabird have been added to the Red List of birds, following a similar comprehensive population assessment. These include Arctic Tern (breeds in Wales), Great Black-backed Gull (resident in Wales), Common Gull (winters in Wales), Leach’s Storm-petrel (passage) and Great Skua (passage).

Most of the species were placed on the Red List because of severe declines, having halved in numbers or range in Wales in recent decades. Others remain well below historical levels or are under threat of global extinction. Since the previous assessment, Corn Bunting and Corncrake have been declared extinct as breeding birds in Wales.

A number of species have jumped straight from Green to Red. The rapid decline in numbers of breeding Rooks and of wintering Purple Sandpipers in Wales, the deteriorating global status of Leach’s Petrel and the Gannet population crash, means that they have jumped from Green to Red since the 2016 assessment.

Another concern found in the report is the placing of Swifts on the Red List and House Martin on the Amber List for the first time. This could reflect the availability of nesting habitats and food for the species available food for them such as air-borne insects or conditions in wintering areas of these migrants.

Greenfinch, a once familiar garden bird, has moved from Amber to Red after a population crash (71% in Wales since 1995) caused by a severe outbreak of the disease Trichomonosis. This parasite-borne infection is also believed to be responsible for the ongoing decline of Chaffinch, which has been moved to the Amber List.

The future of many upland, grassland and wading birds such as Curlew, Redshank and Lapwing remains of major concern. Work commissioned by NRW suggests breeding Curlew could be on the verge of extinction in Wales in the next decade without urgent intervention, making it the most pressing bird conservation priority in Wales.

It is not all bad news and a beacon of hope has been the recovery of the Red Kite, which has made it to the Green List thanks to the efforts of people across Wales and more than a century of conservation work. Another species that has moved from Amber to Green is the Avocet, which has benefited from wetland restoration.

Julian Hughes, RSPB Cymru Head of Species, said:

 “An increase in the number of species on the Red List shows that we are losing many of Wales’ most well-loved and familiar birds, underlining the seriousness of the nature emergency we face. As we approach COP15 of the UN’s Biodiversity Convention we are looking to leaders to commit to delivering an ambitious new global agreement for nature. We can’t lose more time, and the Welsh Government’s promise to introduce legally binding nature recovery targets for Wales must be delivered quickly to ensure all departments, and all sectors play their part in Wales becoming Nature Positive by 2030.”

Patrick Lindley, NRW Senior Ornithologist, said:

“Results from the fourth assessment of Birds of Conservation Concern provide us with an understanding of the health of birds in Wales. Worryingly, more than a quarter of the birds assessed are now showing signs of statistically significant decline and are Red-listed in Wales. Farmed habitat species remain in serious trouble in Wales, and include Starling, Tree Sparrow, Yellow Wagtail and Yellowhammer, all of which remain Red-listed and are now absent as breeding birds from large parts of Wales. The status of several upland songbirds has also deteriorated significantly, including widespread species such as Meadow Pipit which now joins the Red List. This fourth assessment demonstrates the importance of long-term monitoring and the participation of volunteers collecting such information.”

Dawn Balmer, BTO Head of Surveys, said:

“Thank you to the hundreds of volunteers who take part in surveys and count birds throughout the year. The data they collect is pivotal for long-term assessments like this one, which reveal so much about the changing fortunes of birds in Wales.”

The full 2022 report can be viewed and downloaded here.  A summary of the 2024 report (in both Welsh and English) can be downloaded here  and the consolidated list of the status of all Welsh birds can be viewed and downloaded here.

The 2024 paper (Milvus 3.1, pp 4-11) can be viewed here.