Sussex Ornithological Society launches Corn Bunting survey

The Sussex Ornithological Society (SOS) is launching a survey of Corn Bunting this year in an effort to assess the status of the Red-listed species in the county.

The last full countywide census of the species was carried out in 2014, covering 47 tetrads and identifying a minimum of 173 singing Corn Buntings. Extrapolating the population across surveyed areas suggested the population was between 536-647 singing males. The estimate of the county population in The Birds of Sussex, based on the BTO Atlas 2007-11, was between 240 and 350 singing males. 

Corn Bunting is strongly associated with arable farmland and semi-natural grasslands and in Sussex its densities are strongest on the South Downs, with a few smaller breeding populations on the levels of East Sussex and the coastal plain of West Sussex.

Corn Bunting has become scarce and localised in much of south-east England (Ian R Poxton).

Corn Bunting tetrads

The SOS's survey begins this month, on 15 April. Those taking part are asked to perform at least two visits to their tetrad between then and the end of June, with each visit at least a fortnight apart. There are still vacant tetrads which the charity is hoping will be surveyed – you can see which areas are available on the interactive survey map.

Corn Bunting has suffered a long-term decline in England, with a population crash of some 82% since the late 1960s. It has been lost from many parts of the country including Surrey, which shares a lengthy border with Sussex. 

However, last year's Breeding Bird Survey report offered a more promising outlook, suggesting that numbers in England have increased by 35% over the past decade, with this partial recovery particularly evident in the South-West.

Find out more about the survey at sussexcornbunting.birdsurvey.org.uk.