Cirl bunting national surveys in the UK

The cirl bunting, Emberiza cirlus, is a scarce and localised breeding bird in the UK, now being confined almost entirely to south Devon. It is on the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern in the UK owing to the rapid decline (>50%) in the UK breeding range over the past 25 years, and has been identified as a priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Full surveys of the breeding cirl bunting population in Britain and the Channel Islands were undertaken in 1989, 1998, 2003, 2009 and 2016 to document potential range expansion.

The 1989 survey was conducted by the RSPB in conjunction with the Devon Bird Watching and Preservation Society. The 1998 survey was funded by the RSPB and Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) (now Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)). The 2003 survey was funded by the RSPB, English Nature (now Natural England) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The 2009 survey was funded by the RSPB and Natural England. The 2016 survey was funded by Devon Birds, Devon County Council, National Trust, Paignton Zoo, RSPB and Teignbridge District Council.
The surveys were carried out under the Statutory Conservation Agencies and RSPB Breeding Birds Scheme (SCARABBS) partnership.