Tree Sparrows, Turtle Doves and more in freefall, but recovery possible with more support for farmers.
When did you last hear the purr of a Turtle Dove or the chirp of a Tree Sparrow? New stats released by the UK Government reveal worrying declines for these and other farmland birds.
The report looked at how birds in various habitats across the UK have been faring since 1970 and found that species that breed on farmland are struggling the most. Between 2019 and 2024, the indicator which tracks England’s farmland bird populations saw the largest decline at 13%. This is on top of the longer-term trend we’ve seen for the past 50 years – with farmland birds like Tree Sparrows, Turtle Doves, Yellowhammers and Lapwings, in a dramatic freefall.
For farmland birds in England, this accelerated decline reflects that, despite some positive progress, the rollout of new agri-environment schemes is missing the mark. Well-designed agri-environment schemes can recover nature, the evidence is clear, but the current schemes are not delivering their full potential for nature.”
Many farmers have already been working hard to reverse these declines. They're showing that farming with nature can help wildlife recover, and also improve the resilience of food production. Right now, these efforts are at risk, with thousands of farmers in England set to lose funding in December when their Countryside Stewardship (CS) Mid Tier agreements come to an end. These agri-environment agreements fund farmers to take action for nature and climate on their farms, such as by creating habitats for birds and other wildlife. Without these schemes, farmers could remove wildlife-rich habitats in an effort to intensify production.
With many farmland birds already in trouble, this would have a knock-on effect that nature cannot afford. Instead, the UK Government needs to ensure that nature-friendly farmers continue to have access to this vital funding by offering one-year extensions to these agreements and helping them transition to new, ambitious schemes.
The UK Government should look to rapidly increase the number of farmers who are part of higher tier agri-environment schemes, and improve the entry-level scheme so it delivers more for nature and people. This will help more farmers to manage 10% of their land for nature, providing year-round resources for farmland birds to rebound.
Take the threatened Tree Sparrow. These birds need insects and spiders to feed to their chicks in the spring and summer, and lots of seeds throughout the year and especially in winter. With the right support for higher tier schemes, farmers can manage their land to create the insect-rich field margins and winter seeds that Tree Sparrows depend on.
And what works for Tree Sparrows also helps other farmland wildlife. Pollinators like bees and butterflies benefit from the flowering field margins, and winter seeds support other birds like Yellowhammers.
By scaling up this vision across England, we could begin to halt and reverse these worrying declines in farmland bird populations. And just as these declines are a bellwether for the broader state of nature in our countryside, the work we do to help farmland birds will also have a wider impact.
Nature-friendly farming isn’t just about wildlife, it can also help us tackle climate change and build resilience in our food production systems. We need to supercharge the transition to nature-friendly farming, building on the efforts of the trailblazing farmers already making a difference.
Earlier this year, over 100,000 RSPB supporters signed our petition calling on the UK Government to keep investing in nature-friendly farming. To our relief, the Government listened. We hope that these latest stats will remind them of the urgent need to build on the positive progress so far with more ambitious action.
In the future, we may need to ask you once again to use your voice to help England’s farmland wildlife: we’ll let you know when it will be most effective. We’ll keep up our efforts – through conservation, campaigning and working with farmers – to ensure that Tree Sparrows, Turtle Doves and others thrive once more. We’re incredibly grateful for your support every step of the way.
