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Trends of common birds in Europe, 2007 update
This report presents an enlarged set of population trends and indices of 124 common bird species in Europe, which have been produced by Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme in early 2007. The trends and indices presented in this report cover time period 1980 - 2005, although data back to 60s are available from some European countries.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to the data providers & organisations responsible for national data collection and analysis:
Norbert Teufelbauer, Michael Dvorak, Christian Vansteenwegen, Anne Weiserbs, Jean-Paul Jacob, Anny Anselin, Thierry Kinet, Anotoine Derouaux, Jiri Reif, Karel Stastny, Henning Heldbjerg, Michael Grell, Andres Kuresoo, Risto A. Väisänen, Fréderic Jiguet, Johannes Schwarz, Martin Flade, Tibor Szep, Olivia Crowe, Dick Coombes, Lorenzo Fornasari, Elisabetta de Carli, Ainars Aunins, Ruud P. B. Foppen, Magne Husby, Przemek Chylarecki, Dagmara Jawinska, Geoff Hilton, Juan Carlos del Moral, Ramón Martí, Virginia Escandell, Åke Lindström, Sören Svensson, Hans Schmid, David G. Noble, Mike Raven, Andrew Joys.
We thank to Richard Gregory, Arco Van Strien, Adriaan Gmelig Meyling, Ian Burfield, Grégoire Lois, Ruud Foppen, David Noble and Zoltan Waliczky , Lukas Viktora, Lucie Hoskova, Norbert Schaffer, David W. Gibbons, Ian Burfield, Nicola Crockford, Jose Tavares, Henk Sierdsema, Sergi Herrando, Dominique Richard and Anne Teller for valuable comments and help with data collation, analysis and for general support.
Thanks to the many thousands of skilled volunteer counters responsible for data collection.
The project has been supported by the Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB), the BirdLife International Partner in the UK. Since January 2006 the project has been supported by the European Community. Sole responsibility lies with the author and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained in this document.
Other significant partners of the project are: Statistics Netherlands, Czech Society for Ornithology (CSO), BirdLife International Partner in the Czech Republic, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Dutch Organisation for Field Ornithology (SOVON) and EBCC and BirdLife European Partnership.
Methods
Trend information was derived from annually operated national breeding bird surveys spanning different periods from 20 European countries, obtained through the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (PECBMS). A software package named TRIM (which allows for missing counts in the time series and yields unbiased yearly indices and standard errors using Poisson regression) was used to calculate national species´ indices and then to combine these into supranational indices for species, weighted by estimates of national population sizes. Weighting allows for the fact that different countries hold different proportions of each species´ European population. Updated population size estimates were used for weighting, derived from BirdLife International (2004). Although national schemes differ in count methods in the field, these differences do not influence the supranational results because the indices are standardised before being combined. An improved hierarchical imputation procedure was used to calculate supranational indices.
Species characteristic for main habitat types have been classified using improved procedure accepted at the PEBCMS workshop in Prague in 2005. This procedure is based on species classification within four main biogeographical regions, Atlantic, Boreal, Continental and Mediterranean.
Data
National monitoring coordinators provided data on 224 species, however, data on many species were poor that European index could not be produced. Finally, reliable European index was produced on 124 species. The data come from 20 countries including data from new scheme in Portugal. The countries are: Ireland, UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy. Data from Estonia are old data from the first PECBMS attempt to produce European indices and cover limited number of species and time period (until 2000).
Details of computation methods and species classification will be published at this web site too.
Results are summarised in the table, for graph of species´ index, click on species name.
Species Trend 1980
(%)a) Trend 1990
(%)a) long-term slope (SE)b) short-term slope (SE)b) habitatc) Accipiter nisus 15 -13 1.0043 (0.0091) 0.9792 (0.0217) for Acrocephalus arundinaceus2) 62 -29 1.0314 (0.0169) 1.0026 (0.0137) oth Acrocephalus palustris 0 -31 0.9993 (0.0034) 1.0014 (0.0042) oth Acrocephalus schoenobaenus -65 -44 0.9815 (0.0086) 0.9724 (0.0181) oth Acrocephalus scirpaceus -11 -22 0.9928 (0.0026) 0.988 (0.0038) oth Actitis hypoleucos -19 -14 0.9795 (0.0047) 0.9851 (0.0076) oth Aegithalos caudatus 46 -16 1.0067 (0.0044) 1.002 (0.0127) oth Alauda arvensis -47 -26 0.9813 (0.001) 0.983 (0.0016) farm Anthus campestris1) -60 0.9247 (0.0082) farm Anthus pratensis -57 -32 0.9799 (0.0041) 0.9731 (0.0034) farm Anthus trivialis -49 -30 0.97 (0.0012) 0.9792 (0.0019) for Apus apus 7 21 0.9921 (0.0039) 1.0053 (0.0099) oth Bonasa bonasia3) -47 -50 0.9883 (0.0071) 0.9899 (0.011) for Buteo buteo 80 -9 1.0265 (0.0033) 0.9981 (0.0055) oth Calandrella brachydactyla1) -24 0.9716 (0.0148) farm Carduelis cannabina -54 -40 0.9783 (0.0031) 0.9585 (0.0063) farm Carduelis carduelis -9 3 1.0175 (0.0033) 1.0086 (0.007) oth Carduelis chloris 29 -11 1.0029 (0.0019) 0.997 (0.0043) oth Carduelis flammea -54 9 0.9885 (0.0363) 0.9886 (0.0087) oth Carduelis spinus -34 -6 0.9896 (0.0036) 0.9971 (0.0032) for Carpodacus erythrinus 224 -45 1.0172 (0.0055) 0.96 (0.0038) oth Certhia brachydactyla2) -46 35 0.9941 (0.0074) 1.0281 (0.0105) for Certhia familiaris -2 8 0.9996 (0.0027) 0.9978 (0.0037) for Cettia cetti1) 541 1.0728 (0.0147) oth Ciconia ciconia2) 119 70 1.0268 (0.0139) 1.0311 (0.013) farm Cisticola juncidis1) -5 0.9938 (0.0116) oth Coccothraustes coccothraustes 658 -33 1.0209 (0.0072) 0.9769 (0.0054) for Columba oenas 13 10 1.008 (0.0045) 1.0118 (0.0111) for Columba palumbus 71 19 1.0195 (0.0023) 1.0109 (0.0017) oth Corvus corax 118 54 1.0473 (0.005) 1.022 (0.0047) oth Corvus corone 21 6 1.0065 (0.0021) 1.0042 (0.0027) oth Corvus frugilegus 37 18 1.0149 (0.0043) 1.0122 (0.0052) farm Corvus monedula 14 -10 0.9935 (0.0039) 0.9877 (0.0063) oth Cuculus canorus -17 -6 0.9867 (0.0016) 0.9888 (0.0037) oth Delichon urbica -8 -19 0.9803 (0.0058) 0.9749 (0.0117) oth Dendrocopos major 43 25 1.0113 (0.0017) 1.0203 (0.005) oth Dendrocopos minor -81 -56 0.9272 (0.024) 0.9393 (0.051) for Dryocopus martius 77 52 1.0217 (0.0053) 1.0191 (0.0152) for Emberiza cia1) 114 1.0497 (0.0136) oth Emberiza cirlus1) 57 1.039 (0.0165) farm Emberiza citrinella -40 -20 0.9794 (0.001) 0.9864 (0.0017) farm Emberiza hortulana -18 16 0.9863 (0.0089) 1.0566 (0.0241) farm Emberiza schoeniclus -7 21 0.9964 (0.003) 0.994 (0.0044) oth Erithacus rubecula 16 11 1.0119 (0.0008) 1.0124 (0.0018) oth Falco tinnunculus -23 -27 0.9923 (0.0038) 0.9712 (0.0079) farm Ficedula albicollis2) 182 56 1.0358 (0.0073) 0.9983 (0.007) for Ficedula hypoleuca -26 -24 0.9884 (0.0016) 0.9856 (0.0021) for Fringilla coelebs 11 -1 1 (0.0006) 0.9993 (0.001) oth Fringilla montifringilla -70 -7 0.9668 (0.0084) 0.9796 (0.0038) oth Galerida cristata2) -95 -85 0.8634 (0.0443) 0.8894 (0.0095) farm Galerida theklae1) 99 1.0665 (0.0178) farm Gallinago gallinago -36 -12 0.977 (0.0031) 0.9965 (0.0039) oth Garrulus glandarius 32 51 1.0007 (0.0028) 1.0186 (0.0075) for Hippolais icterina -42 -21 0.9808 (0.0025) 0.9875 (0.0036) oth Hippolais polyglotta1) -12 0.9826 (0.0096) oth Hirundo rupestris1) 118 1.0424 (0.024) oth Hirundo rustica -16 -17 0.9942 (0.0024) 0.9793 (0.0043) farm Jynx torquilla -74 -38 0.9526 (0.007) 0.9581 (0.0085) oth Lanius collurio -30 26 1.0006 (0.006) 1.012 (0.0106) farm Lanius senator1) -41 0.9605 (0.0087) farm Limosa limosa1) -39 0.9723 (0.0021) farm Locustella fluviatilis2) -62 -37 0.9887 (0.0072) 0.9954 (0.0095) oth Locustella naevia -44 -8 0.9874 (0.0066) 0.9779 (0.0077) oth Lullula arborea -18 24 1.0438 (0.0329) 1.0069 (0.013) oth Luscinia luscinia -29 -37 0.9783 (0.0031) 0.9774 (0.0086) oth Luscinia megarhynchos -63 0 0.9627 (0.0054) 1.0028 (0.0045) oth Melanocorypha calandra1) -9 0.9792 (0.0075) farm Merops apiaster1) 30 1.0239 (0.0354) oth Miliaria calandra -61 -10 0.9654 (0.006) 0.9867 (0.0097) farm Motacilla alba -14 -28 0.9962 (0.0016) 0.9897 (0.0034) oth Motacilla cinerea2) -54 -39 0.9757 (0.0054) 0.9759 (0.0056) oth Motacilla flava -31 -22 0.9868 (0.0054) 0.9946 (0.007) farm Muscicapa striata -59 -32 0.969 (0.0051) 0.9828 (0.0126) oth Nucifraga caryocatactes 19 -62 0.9702 (0.0143) 0.9215 (0.0181) for Oenanthe hispanica1) -2 0.9861 (0.0121) farm Oenanthe oenanthe -70 -52 0.9471 (0.0129) 0.9523 (0.0063) oth Oriolus oriolus2) 34 29 1.0173 (0.0049) 1.0065 (0.0077) oth Parus ater -17 -17 0.9981 (0.0029) 0.9824 (0.0036) for Parus caeruleus 43 33 1.0093 (0.0013) 1.0148 (0.0039) oth Parus cristatus -35 -11 0.9815 (0.0061) 0.9937 (0.0108) for Parus major 12 18 0.9991 (0.0009) 1.0075 (0.002) oth Parus montanus -58 -33 0.9623 (0.0036) 0.9836 (0.0093) for Parus palustris -35 -18 0.9747 (0.0043) 0.9902 (0.0115) for Passer domesticus -37 -2 0.9819 (0.0023) 0.9949 (0.0035) oth Passer montanus -45 13 0.9808 (0.004) 0.9904 (0.0092) farm Perdix perdix -79 -58 0.9265 (0.0119) 0.9097 (0.0235) farm Petronia petronia1) 48 1.0234 (0.011) farm Phoenicurus ochruros2) 24 -6 1.0044 (0.0043) 1.0012 (0.0074) oth Phoenicurus phoenicurus -33 31 0.9979 (0.0025) 1.0132 (0.0062) for Phylloscopus bonelli1) -33 0.9721 (0.0234) for Phylloscopus collybita 56 -22 1.0286 (0.0013) 1.0001 (0.0021) for Phylloscopus sibilatrix -44 -52 0.9726 (0.003) 0.9446 (0.0052) for Phylloscopus trochilus -30 -26 0.9825 (0.0008) 0.9807 (0.0016) oth Pica pica 5 -29 0.9955 (0.002) 0.9659 (0.0051) oth Picus canus2) 63 -11 1.0136 (0.0242) 0.9822 (0.0138) for Picus viridis 43 45 1.0214 (0.0037) 1.028 (0.0119) oth Prunella modularis -33 -10 0.986 (0.0012) 0.9928 (0.0028) oth Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax1) 32 1.007 (0.0209) oth Pyrrhula pyrrhula -48 -16 0.9862 (0.0025) 0.9846 (0.0056) for Regulus ignicapilla2) -19 -33 1.0057 (0.0092) 1.0086 (0.0173) for Regulus regulus -19 -38 0.9947 (0.0016) 0.9834 (0.0026) for Saxicola rubetra -55 -10 0.9826 (0.0062) 1.001 (0.0044) farm Saxicola torquata2) -30 1 0.9943 (0.0592) 1.0203 (0.0132) farm Serinus serinus2) -41 -31 0.9651 (0.0049) 0.9754 (0.0117) farm Sitta europaea 61 -14 1.0114 (0.0034) 0.9901 (0.0101) for Streptopelia decaocto 59 104 1.0207 (0.0033) 1.0477 (0.0043) oth Streptopelia turtur -62 -19 0.9633 (0.0034) 0.9889 (0.0055) farm Sturnus unicolor1) 55 1.0377 (0.0069) farm Sturnus vulgaris -49 -3 0.9753 (0.0037) 0.9961 (0.0035) farm Sylvia atricapilla 82 22 1.0261 (0.001) 1.0199 (0.0021) oth Sylvia borin -21 -20 0.992 (0.0011) 0.993 (0.0025) oth Sylvia cantillans1) -2 1.0096 (0.0239) oth Sylvia communis 9 -4 1.0104 (0.0015) 1.0081 (0.0023) farm Sylvia curruca -10 12 0.9999 (0.002) 1.0058 (0.003) oth Sylvia melanocephala1) -16 1.0194 (0.0148) oth Sylvia undata1) -27 0.9668 (0.0119) oth Troglodytes troglodytes 45 3 1.0179 (0.0009) 1.0163 (0.0016) oth Turdus iliacus 21 14 0.9996 (0.0024) 1.0046 (0.0023) oth Turdus merula 15 16 1.007 (0.0007) 1.0125 (0.0011) oth Turdus philomelos -5 22 0.9973 (0.0009) 1.0146 (0.0014) oth Turdus pilaris 7 -37 1.0083 (0.0019) 0.9916 (0.0019) oth Turdus viscivorus -20 -3 0.9885 (0.0029) 0.9977 (0.0056) for Upupa epops2) 49 -24 1.0118 (0.0443) 0.9882 (0.0247) farm Vanellus vanellus -51 -40 0.9597 (0.0038) 0.9682 (0.0071) farm
1) Data for long-term trend and log-term slope not available.
2) Data for long-term trend and log-term slope available over the period 1982-2005.
3) Data for long-term trend and log-term slope available over the period 1983-2005.
a) Trend - change (in %) in an index value between the first and last year of a time period (Long-term trend - over the period 1980-2005, Short-term trend - over the period 1990-2005).
b) Slope - multiplicative trend over a time period considered, reflects average percentage change per year. If the slope value is 1, there is no trend. If > 1, there is a positive trend, if < 1, trend is negative. For instance, 1.08 means 8 % increase per year, 0.93 means 7 % decline per year. Slope standard error in parenthesis (Long-term slope - over the period 1980-2005, Short-term slope - over the period 1990-2005).
c) Habitat
for - forest
farm - farmland
oth - other
& 