RSPB in plea to save elusive bird
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds yesterday appealed for pounds 300,000 to fund Scottish island projects aimed at saving endangered birds.
The organisation wants to spend the money on the islands of Egilsay, in the Orkneys, and Oronsay, in the Inner Hebrides, two of the last United Kingdom strongholds of the fast-disappearing corncrake.
Once common on farmland, the corncrakes have vanished from most of the UK since early this century because of changing habitat and breeding failure.
The species has ceased to breed in Northern Ireland, leaving the northern and western isles of Scotland as the final footholds.
Traditional farming methods continue on the two Scottish islands and the society believes that with careful management, small populations of these summer-visiting birds could be increased.
Because the birds are secretive, the only means of measuring population size is by counting the number of males giving out the distinctive rasping call of the species during the breeding season.
Seven males were heard calling on Egilsay last year and the RSPB plans to buy Onziebust Farm, covering a quarter of the island, in the hope it can more than double the number.
Oronsay had three calling males last year and the society, which aims to lease the island, believes that by improving the habitat the number could be increased.
There were just 570 calling male corncrakes found in the UK last year and in the 25 years to 1993, the national population declined by more than 50 per cent.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments