Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosus
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Distribution Britain 654 (-11.0%) Ireland 259 (-9.8%)
Numbers breeding: Britain 34,000 Ireland 12,500 European status: 400,000 (11% in Britain and Ireland =2) British population trend: slight decline? How likely are you to record it? 31 squares (0.7%) Ranked 128 [77=] |
The Rock Pipit has always been a coastal species breeding on just about all rocky shores in Britain and Ireland. In some areas, like Mull, Skye and the Western Isles, it seems regularly to breed a little inland. It is missing from Lincolnshire to the Thames and has only recently returned to the cliffs in Kent. Numbers are low for much of the sandy, low, coastline on the east coast of Ireland, north-west England and the coasts of the Channel and the North Sea. It is from these areas that most of the losses between the two Breeding Atlases were recorded. However there are no widespread census results available from core areas of high density where any population trends could be deduced. Most birds seem to stay in or near their breeding area during the winter. A hint of a problem is apparent.
From
The
State of the Nations Birds
Copyright © 2000 by Chris Mead