News

Declining Waders Thrive on Grouse Moors

30th April 2001

Declining waders such as golden plovers, curlew and lapwing are up to five times more common as breeding birds on grouse moors than on equivalent moors not managed for grouse, a scientific paper by the Trust and the RSPB reveals.

Management done by moorland gamekeepers including predator control (foxes, stoats and crows) and rotational strip burning of heather to favour red grouse habitats are keys to the waders’ success reveals the report. It is published in leading international scientific publication The Journal of Applied Ecology (1) dated 30th April 2001.

The paper is called “The effect of management for sport shooting of red grouse on the density of breeding birds on heather dominated uplands”. It is by Andy Tharme of the RSPB and Dave Baines of The Game Conservancy Trust together with colleagues Rhys Green (RSPB) and Ian Bainbridge formerly of the RSPB.

The paper reveals that management of grouse moors has major benefits to other birds using this fragile and unique environment. It shows that golden plovers and lapwings are five times more abundant on grouse moors compared with other non-sporting moors, and that curlews are twice as common. Gamekeepers present on grouse moors reduced carrion crows, a common predator of bird eggs, by three fold.

Dr Dave Baines of The Game Conservancy Trust says: “Here we have strong evidence that gamekeeping on grouse moors greatly helps other ground nesting birds. Birds such as waders do much better on grouse moors where they are given protection from predators and better habitat by gamekeepers.”

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He adds: “It also costs the tax payer little as grouse management is privately funded. The government has proposed that wild birds should be indicators of sustainable agriculture. Grouse management is clearly a sustainable land use which helps biodiversity enormously.”

Simon Bostock of the Moorland Association says: “This scientific report endorses that moorland management for grouse shooting also benefits golden plover, curlew and lapwing which are in danger of rapid decline if not protected. They are on the RPSB’s Amber List of bird populations. The Government has proposed that wild birds should be indicators of sustainable land use and the keepering of heather moorland for grouse shooting, which is privately funded, is seen in this report to sustain a great wealth of biodiversity.”

Grouse moors are deemed to be valuable for other forms of wildlife that the recent Countryside and Rights of Way Bill will allow owners to ban dogs from grouse moors. Landowners can also consult with English Nature in a bid to have access to walkers restricted if conservation is threatened.

The red grouse which eats predominantly heather shoots is only found in the UK and Ireland. Grouse shooting has provided an incentive to manage and care for heather moorland which is recognised as a habitat of international importance.

Without grouse shooting much of the UK’s heather would have been lost. Aerial photographs have shown that since the 1940s heather loss has been 17% on Scottish grouse moors but there has been a reduction of up to 50% on moors where there has never been shooting or where sport has stopped. In England and Wales over the past 15 years, however, due to the efforts of Moorland Association members and with help from agri-environment schemes, 160,000 acres of heather have been successfully regenerated with many more in the pipeline.

Upland heather moors are also home to twite, merlin, black grouse, ring ouzel and peregrine.
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Notes to Editors:

(1) Vol 38, pp 440-458

The Game Conservancy Trust is an independent wildlife conservation charity which carries out research into game and its associated species and habitats. It is supported by 25,000 members and spends over £1.9 million annually on research which is carried out by 60 scientists based at Fordingbridge, and at study centres throughout the country. The Trust’s main areas of interest include farmland, moorland and woodland conservation, river and habitat restoration, disease, predation control and education.

For further information please contact:
Kate Davey – Press Officer
Telephone – 01425-652381 (direct 01425-651000), mobile 07801-080473

Dr Dave Baines – Head of Grouse Research
Telephone – 01833-622208
Mobile – 07740-172755

Amanda Anderson – The Moorland Association
Telephone 01200-440492
Mobile – 07979-851123
Email: threeaspr@yahoo.co.uk