After a study of five years it has been concluded that farmers who provide bed and breakfast for wild birds can help in reversing the decline in the number of farmland species. The study showed that if these new measures in green farming schemes are implemented than the bird numbers could increase four fold.Six techniques were identified that would help in stopping the drop in numbers of species like skylarks and yellow wagtails.

The study was conducted by Sustainable Arable Farming For An Improved Environment.
The organisation has compromises of 21 farming,environment and research groups including Department of Environment,Food and Rural Affairs ,Natural England,The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds(RSPB),the national trust and Syngenta.

James Clarke , Saffie project director said

The measures suggested by the Saffie research could enhance farmland biodiversity and are compatible with modern arable farming.
This is a real opportunity for the government to meet its targets for reversing the decline of farmland birds. It’s about providing bed and breakfast for farmland birds.We don’t want uniform fields or field margins and are not suggesting that all farmers should do the same thing. But we need a diversity of habitat and, if we have that, we’ll have a wide variety of thriving wildlife.

Wide Open Spaces
The research work for £3.5m was carried out on 36 farms in England and Scotland and it was found that skylark plots which are small ,bare patches in arable fields with srips of grasses and wild flowers ,increased the number of birds three or four-fold. Plant diverstity and open spaces in these strips were also important as these encouraged beetles, which are sought by birds as food for their young ones.
Furthermore using a herbicide to control fast-growing grasses has also allowed other plants, bees and butterflies to flourish.
Skylark plots were included in the goverment’s scheme a couple of years ago but the progress has been low.

Sustainability call
It is also believed that changes to government schemes based on Saffie’s findings will encourage more farmers to take part.

RSPB chief executive Graham Wynne said

Measures for wildlife can be used by farmers without harming a farm’s profits. The recommendations Saffie is making could make an enormous contribution to helping farmland species recover their numbers and making rural businesses more sustainable. We very much hope the government and Natural England will take these proposals on board.

The latest of UK’s birds report has shown a shocking reduction in number of farmland birds.The report suggests that the skylark,tree sparrow , corn bunting and yellow hammer had only stable numbers.
Via:BBC