Hope for the grey partridge
Farmers used to say: «First of May – first egg!» Right at the start of the merry month, up to 20 eggs would appear in the nest of the «partridge family.» Despite this impressive clutch size, there has been hardly any successful breeding over the past thirty years. Grey partridge populations have collapsed in many areas. «Only in a few regions can you still
Farmers used to say: «First of May – first egg!» Right at the start of the merry month, up to 20 eggs would appear in the nest of the «partridge family.» Despite this impressive clutch size, there has been hardly any successful breeding over the past thirty years. Grey partridge populations have collapsed in many areas. «Only in a few regions can grey partridges still be spotted in the farmland,» says Dr Andreas Kinser of the German Wildlife Foundation. Intensive agriculture is the main driver behind the dramatic decline of the grey partridge: birds can barely find cover from predators, and in summer the insects essential for successfully raising chicks are largely absent.
Stubble fields as a food source are disappearing
In winter, grey partridges feed almost exclusively on leaves – the fresh tips of oilseed rape and winter cereals are their favorite. Nevertheless, they appreciate the luxury of energy-rich food such as plant seeds. In the past, grain left on the fields after harvest helped them through the winter. But these stubble fields are now ploughed in autumn and are no longer available as a food source. Under the direction of the University of Göttingen, grey partridges in Lower Saxony are being supplementally fed a bucket of wheat per breeding pair on a regular basis, right through until May. The measure forms part of a European grey partridge project (North Sea Region Interreg project PARTRIDGE), which aims to enhance farmland habitats for the grey partridge across four international regions.
Wildflower strips improve breeding prospects
However, the most important effect of targeted feeding of grey partridges is not the improved food situation: “Our goal is to ensure that as few grey partridges as possible leave the area after winter, and instead remain in our project area,” says biologist Dr. Eckhard Gottschalk from the Department of Conservation Biology at the University of Göttingen. “There we have created species-rich wildflower strips for the grey partridges, and their chances of successful breeding and chick-rearing are significantly higher than in the surrounding landscape,” Gottschalk continues. These voluntary species protection measures are compensated financially for farmers through project funds. “To preserve the grey partridge beyond the project areas as well, we are calling for more public subsidies for farmers who show consideration for wildlife such as grey partridges,” explains Kinser.
Project PARTRIDGE: 30% more biodiversity
The international project PARTRIDGE aims to demonstrate that it is possible to increase biodiversity in the agricultural landscape by 30%. The benchmark for the project's success is the development of the grey partridge population. In the studied landscapes, approximately seven percent of the land area is enhanced for the benefit of wildlife.
In addition to the “Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust” as the lead organisation of the umbrella project and the demonstration regions in England and Scotland, institutions from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany are participating in the project. PARTRIDGE is funded through the EU Interreg North Sea Programme. More on environment and nature conservation.
