POOR BREEDING SEASON FOR GREY PARTRIDGES

Grey partridges struggled in June (photo: GWCT)

IT has been a disappointing  breeding season for a rapidly-declining farmland bird - the grey partridge.

This is the discouraging annual autumn count data coming out of the  Partridge Count Scheme and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust.

Even in areas that are managed for grey partridges (those that ensure abundant habitat for nesting and brood-rearing as well as seasonal predator control), the number of chicks produced is below average.

In areas of the country without management for grey partridges, the situation is likely to have been worse.

It is likely that the low number of young is related to a lack of chick-food insects, in combination with intense rainfall and cold temperatures in June. 

The GWCT is urging caution from those who shoot partridges for sport.

It describes the situation as "serious" thought not  as bad as the devastating summer of 2012.

Says one of its senior scientists, Dr Julie Ewald: “In order to shoot sustainably, it is important to know what numbers of birds you have on the ground.”

“Many coveys seen this year have few young and are being joined by barren pairs or single adult birds, making the covey size appear closer to normal.  

"Make sure you spend time identifying both young and old in a covey, to ensure you don’t overestimate the number of chicks produced.”

The  trust  advise that  grey partridges should not be shot if there are  fewer than 20 birds per 250 acres 

Head of advisory services Dr Roger Draycott comments: “While it has been a disappointing year for grey partridge breeding success, given the right conditions, numbers can bounce back quickly.

Roger Draycott - hoping for a bounceback

"A cautious approach to shooting this autumn will benefit greys in the long-run.”

Farmers and land managers are being urged to give wild partridges extra food this winter and next spring to make sure they start the next breeding season in the best possible condition.

They are also being encouraged to provide  plenty of cover at the edges of fields for birds to hide in during the late winter and early spring as they can suffer losses of over 50 per cent when cover is in short supply.