SPUR Project

2009 Winner (10 of 13)

Population Dynamics of Yellowhammers (Emberiza citrinella) on the Brackenhurst Campus
Supervisor: Dr Louise Gentle

The yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) has suffered a 54% decline in the last 35 years (Eaton et al., 2008), largely due to agricultural intensification reducing the availability of their primary food source (Batten et al., 1990) putting this species on the red list of conservation concern (Eaton et al., 2008). Yellowhammer territories are typically associated with hedgerows and although agricultural intensification is likely to have adversely affected yellowhammers (Bradbury et al., 2000) the exact relationship between hedgerow quality and breeding success (productivity) is unknown. The project aimed to investigate yellowhammer productivity in relation to hedgerow quality on the Brackenhurst campus. Student tasks included bird ringing, nest finding and checking, territory mapping and re-sightings of yellowhammers, and data collation and analysis. Opportunities to co-author scientific papers and conference papers and undertake a research seminar in the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences were made available to the student.