Birds of Prey

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate his Department has made of the population of each species of bird of prey in the UK. (279086)

The population of most species is assessed periodically by species-specific surveys of breeding numbers. The frequency of surveys varies between species. The latest available results from these, together with the years of survey, are provided in the following table.

Year of survey	Species	Population estimate (breeding or territorial pairs)
2000	Honey Buzzard¹	33-69
2005	Marsh Harrier²	363-429
2004	Hen Harrier³	749
2006	Montagu’s Harrier⁴	13-17
1994-2000	Goshawk⁵	410
2003	Golden Eagle⁶	442
2006	Osprey⁷	147-161
1990-94	Merlin⁸	1,330
2002	Peregrine⁹	1,492
2000	Hobby¹⁰	2,200
2000	Sparrowhawk¹¹	41,000
2001	Buzzard¹²	44-61,000
2000	Kestrel¹³	35,400
2006	Red Kite¹⁴	1,200
2006	White-tailed Eagle¹⁵	36
¹ Batten, L.A. 2001. European Honey-buzzard Survey 2000 and 2001: preliminary results and request for further surveys. “British Birds” 94: 143-144. Ogilvie, M.A. 2003. European Honey-buzzards in the UK- correction to breeding totals. “British Birds” 96: 145. ² Holling, M. and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel 2008. Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 2005. “British Birds” 101: 276-316. ³ Sim, I.M.W., Dillion, I.A., Eaton, M.A., Etheridge, B., Lindley, P., Riley, H., Saunders, R., Sharpe, C. and Tickner, M. 2007. Status of the Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus in the UK and Isle of Man in 2004, and a comparison with the 1988-89 and 1998 surveys. Bird Study 54(2): 256-267. ⁴ Holling, M. and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel 2009. Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 2006. “British Birds” 102: 158-202. ⁵ Petty, S.J. 1996. History of the Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis in Britain. In: Holmes, J.S. and Simons J.R. (eds), “The introduction and naturalisation of birds”. HMSO, London. Scott, D. 2001. Goshawk breeding in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Bird Report 1999:114-119. ⁶ Eaton, M.A., Dillon, I.A., Stirling-Aird, P.K. and Whitfield, D.P. 2007. The status of the Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos in Britain in 2003. “Bird Study” 54: 212-220. ⁷ Holling, M. and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel 2009. Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 2006. “British Birds” 102: 158-202. ⁸ Rebecca, G. and Bainbridge, I.P. 1998. The breeding status of Merlin Falco columbarius in Britain in 1993-94. “Bird Study” 45:172-187. RSPB/Irish Raptor Study Group data (from UK Raptor Working Group 2000). ⁹ Banks, A.N., Crick, H.Q.P., Coombes, R, Benn, S., Ratcliffe, D.A. and Humphreys, E. In press. The breeding status of the Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man in 2002. “Bird Study”. ¹⁰ Clements, R. 2001. The Hobby in Britain: a new population estimate. “British Birds” 94: 402-408. ¹¹ Stone, B.H., Sears, J., Cranswick, PA, Gregory, R.D., Gibbons, D.W., Rehfisch, M.M., Aebischer, N.J. and Reid, J.B. 1997. Population estimates of birds in Britain and in the United Kingdom. “British Birds” 90: 1-22. Crick, H.Q.P., Marchant, J.H., Noble, D.G., Baillie, S.R., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Coombes, R.H., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Joys, A.C., Leech, D.I., Raven, M.J., Robinson, R.A. and Thewlis, R.M. 2004. “Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2003”. BTO Research Report No. 353. BTO, Thetford. ¹² Stone, B.H., Sears, J., Cranswick, P.A., Gregory, R.D., Gibbons, D.W., Rehfisch, M.M., Aebischer, N.J. and Reid, J.B. 1997. Population estimates of birds in Britain and in the United Kingdom. “British Birds” 90: 1-22. Crick, H.Q.P., Marchant, J.H., Noble, D.G., Baillie, S.R., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Coombes, R.H., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Joys, A.C., Leech, D.I., Raven, M.J., Robinson, R.A. and Thewlis, R.M. 2004. “Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2003”. BTO Research Report No. 353. BTO, Thetford. ¹³ Stone, B.H., Sears, J., Cranswick, PA, Gregory, R.D., Gibbons, D.W., Rehfisch, M.M., Aebischer, N.J. and Reid, J.B. 1997. Population estimates of birds in Britain and in the United Kingdom. British Birds 90: 1-22. Crick, H.Q.P., Marchant, J.H., Noble, D.G., Baillie, S.R., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Coombes, R.H., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Joys, A.C., Leech, D.I., Raven, M.J., Robinson, R.A. and Thewlis, R.M. 2004. “Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2003”. BTO Research Report No. 353. BTO, Thetford. ¹⁴ Holling, M. and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel 2009. Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 2006. “British Birds” 102: 158-202. ¹⁵ Holling, M. and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel 2009. Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 2006. “British Birds” 102: 158-202.

Volume 494: debated on Tuesday 16 June 2009