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Cirl Bunting - Mike Langman, Maidencombe orchard - TCCT
Maidencombe -
Still Imaging, Maidencombe board - TCCT
Cirl Bunting illustration - Simon Carpenter
The Cirl Bunting is the UK 's rarest resident farmland bird
The most recent survey by the RSPB in 2003 (part funded by English Nature) found only 697 pairs nationally, most of which were found in South Devon between the River Exe and Plym. It's amazing that 8.5% of the total national population are finding refuge in Torbay.
The male has a black mask over a yellow head and an olive green rump (Yellowhammers have a brown rump). He has a short, strong beak and huge great feet! While the male who is rather cool and colourful, the female is a little on the brown and plain side. As the female does all the egg incubating in the hedge being well camouflaged saves a lot of unpleasantness by avoiding attracting the attentions of sparrowhawks!
Cirl Buntings are quite fussy and need 3 major things in their lives. Firstly they need thick hedgerows in which to nest. Secondly they need a good area of stubble left on fields over the winter to provide a source of seeds. Thirdly they need a good supply of grasshoppers to feed their young on over Spring and Summer, grasshoppers only do well in permanent grassland that is lightly grazed. Since the second world war the intensification of farming has meant that miles and miles of hedges have been destroyed; permanent pastures have been ploughed up and stubble fields are no longer left over the winter, instead the new crop is sown soon after harvest in the Autumn for increased efficiency.
