New Annual Breeding Bird report – from the Netherlands

Overall, 33% of 195 breeding bird species have shown a downward trend since 2007, whereas 39% have increased. Considering the period 1990-2018 these figures are 38% and 48%, respectively (rest of the species either stable or no reliable trend).

Habitat specialists of open natural habitats (coastal dunes, heaths, drift sands) show the strongest declines, followed by farmland and urban specialists. The main factors involved may be habitat degradation caused by nitrogen deposition (natural habitats), intensive land use (farmland), and changes in, e. g., housing construction, and management of parks and gardens (urban area).

Positive trends have been recorded in specialists in woodland and, especially, marshland. They benefited from the maturing of woodland, more natural forestry management and habitat expansion in the lower parts of the country (woodland specialists), and restoration of marshes, improved water quality, and better wintering conditions in the Sahel (marshland specialists). Woodland specialists show regionally differentiated trends, with average declines on the nutrient-poor sandy soils in the east and south of the country, where airborne nitrogen deposition is highest.

Species on the brink of extinction include both breeding birds with a long history of decrease (Ruff, Corn Bunting), as well as species in which initial increases (or colonisations) were followed by dramatic declines (Common Goldeneye, Hen Harrier, Eurasian Penduline Tit, Fieldfare, European Serin). Serious and prolonged declines in European Turtle Dove, Eurasian Hobby, Long-eared Owl, and Great Reed Warbler are worrying.

Highlights in 2018 were successful breeding pairs of Western Osprey (3rd year in a row, plus 2 pairs building nests) and Greenish Warbler (2th case) and breeding attempts of mixed pairs involving Pallid Harrier (female x Montagu’s Harrier, failed), Western Bonelli’s Warbler (hybrid male x Wood Warbler, successful) and Woodchat Shrike (female x Red-backed Shrike, failed).

Other rare breeding bird species were Smew (6 bp, might escape, despite intact plumage and wild behaviour), White-tailed Eagle (14 territorial pairs of which 11 breeding), Red Kite (14), Black Kite (2), Caspian Gull (1-5), Whiskered Tern (29), European Bee-eater (7), Red-bellied Dipper (1) and Parrot Crossbill (16 territorial pairs, at least 2 successful breeding attempts).

The Annual report can be downloaded in pdf here. It is written in Dutch but has an English summary and captions of tables and figures.

Information on trends and distribution of birds in the Netherlands can be found on the SOVON website.