Half Scotland’s upland birds suffer significant long-term decline

More than half of Scotland’s upland birds, including the curlew and lapwing, have suffered a “significant long-term decline”, according to official statistics published yesterday. Scottish Natural Heritage’s latest Index of Abundance for Scottish Terrestrial Breeding Birds, reveals that ten of the 17 upland species fell in numbers between 1994 and 2016, contributing to an 16 per cent decrease among upland birds over the period. Breeding waders including curlew Numenius arquata (-62 per cent), golden plover Pluvialis apricaria (-43 per cent), dotterel Charadrius morinellus (-60 per cent), black grouse Tetrao tetrix (-53 per cent) and lapwing Vanellus vanellus (-63 per cent) were among those suffering the most “worrying declines”.

Read more at: https://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/half-scotland-s-upland-birds-…