| Abstract: | Capsule Starling populations have declined markedly since 1964, with the greatest declines in pastoral areas in the south and west of Britain. Aims To establish the size of the Starling population and its recent decline in different habitats and regions. Methods We use distance-based transect sampling to establish, for the first time, robust estimates of population size in different habitats and regions. We then analyse long-term trend data from two extensive monitoring schemes using generalized additive models to find correlates of the population decline. Results The mean national breeding population of Starling over the period 1994–2000 was estimated at about 8.5 million birds, with a 95% confidence interval of 8.1–10.8 million. Most Starlings (36%) occur in southern Britain and densities are greatest in suburban habitats. Populations in both suburban areas and the wider countryside declined by over 50% between 1964 and 2000, being greatest in the south and west of Britain and in areas of livestock farming. Conclusions Changes in pastoral farming practices are likely to account for at least some of the decline in the wider countryside, probably related to changes in food resources, though these are largely unquantified. |
