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Perilous
Times
Raging UK wildfires threaten rare birds
Conservationists warn blazes may have affected some of the UK's
most threatened ground-nesting birds such as the twite
James Meikle guardian.co.uk, Friday 6 May 2011 08.30 BST
Fires have struck both the nesting and feeding sites of the the
twite (Carduelis flavirostris), a threatened species of finch.
Photograph: Tom Marshall/RSPB
The spate of wildfires in parts of Britain is threatening
ground-nesting birds, including the only English population of a
species of finch called the twite, the RSPB has warned.
It said many of the 100 pairs that nest in small colonies in the
southern Pennines might be affected. The bird used to occur much
more widely in England – there are greater numbers in western
Scotland,
The seed-eating bird – a relative of the linnet – has clung on in
the area because of the relative abundance of seed-rich hay
meadows.
Fires have struck both its nesting and feeding sites, said the
RSPB. Peter Robertson, its northern regional director and a member
of the multi-agency England Twite Recovery Project, said: "Even
before these fires, the twite was one of England's most threatened
birds. But blazes have possibly affected more than a third of the
English population.
"This could be a devastating setback for this bird. We have been
working hard with farmers to help retain landscape features, like
hay meadows, which are crucial to the bird. But inevitably
England's most threatened finch has been hit hard by these fires.
We hope that the bird will have a future in England."
Heathland that is important for other threatened birds, including
the nightjar, woodlark and Dartford warbler, has been damaged
across southern England. And the fires in other parts of the UK
will undoubtedly have affected ground-nesting birds, according to
the RSPB.
Nick Phillips, a policy officer, said: "Some of the most
threatened birds in the UK nest on the ground. We are currently in
the middle of the nesting season, with many birds incubating eggs
or tending to chicks. Fire is a considerable risk to these birds,
and other threatened wildlife, such as reptiles.
"A break in the dry weather may bring a brief respite, but we are
still urging people to guard against any risk of wildfire."