Golden plovers starve as daddy longlegs numbers fall
By Rob Edwards
Environment Editor

One of the icons of Scotland's moors, the golden plover, is under threat because global warming is killing the food it needs to survive - daddy longlegs.

A new study by scientists has warned that, if nothing is done, populations of the bird could be wiped out by the end of the century. Other moorland birds that feed on the insect, like the curlew, greenshank and dotterel, may also be at risk.

The mournful call of the golden plover characterises many of Scotland's peatlands and mountain tops, where some 40,000 pairs are reckoned to breed. But previous studies have suggested their numbers have been in decline since the 1980s.

Now, research by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and experts from three universities has pinpointed one reason for the decline. For the first 10 days after plover chicks hatch, they depend upon a plentiful supply of crane flies, or daddy longlegs, to survive. But the number of crane flies has been dropping because fewer of their larvae have been surviving as summers get warmer. The average August temperature has increased by 1.9C since 1972.

Crane fly larvae are thought to need moist conditions to survive, so when the peat dries out, they die. That means fewer adult flies are available for plover chicks to eat the following May and June and so more of them die, too.

"This ongoing research suggests some of our characteristic upland birds are particularly sensitive to increasing temperatures," said Dr James Pearce-Higgins, a research biologist with RSPB Scotland. "If the current warming trend continues due to climate change, they may be locally threatened with extinction."

Golden plovers pair for life, and share the rearing of their offspring. Females incubate eggs during the night and feed in daylight, while males incubate eggs during the day and feed at night.

Pearce-Higgins pointed out that understanding how climate change was affecting wildlife would enable remedial action to be taken.

"The RSPB is putting considerable effort into restoring damaged peatland habitats and blocking drainage ditches to raise water levels, to try and enable both crane flies and bird populations to better cope with rising temperatures," he said.

"We need the government to commit to helping species such as this adapt to climate change by protecting and enhancing such vulnerable habitats. Whether this succeeds will in large part depend on our ability as a society to limit the extent of climate change to manageable levels."

The RSPB encouraged the Scottish government to keep promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy to help cut the pollution that is changing the climate. "As their own research shows, renewables targets can, and should, be met without affecting important wildlife sites," added Pearce-Higgins.

His research was praised by Professor Des Thompson, a plover expert from the government conservation agency, Scottish Natural Heritage. "This is the first pointer that something is going wrong with upland ecosystems as far as the golden plover is concerned," he said. "It could be catastrophic."

The RSPB belongs to Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, a coalition of more than 30 environment, development, faith, community and other groups with at least 1.5 million supporters. Its campaign for action is backed by the Sunday Herald.

"This is just one example of how wildlife that is already stressed will be ill-equipped to cope with climate change," said Mike Robinson, who chairs Stop Climate Chaos Scotland.

"It's important that the Scottish climate change bill results in adequate resources and effort being directed to improve the resilience of Scottish wildlife in the face of climate change."

The Scottish environment minister, Michael Russell, revealed there had been more than 14,000 responses so far to the public consultation on the climate change bill, which ends on Wednesday.

"We have committed to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050," Russell told a meeting in Biggar yesterday. "Climate change is one of the most serious threats we face. Scotland will play its part in rising to this global challenge."