Population ecology and conservation of red-billed choughs in Scotland. Final report on Knowledge Transfer Project

Reid, Jane M.; Bogdanova, Maria I. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3360-1059; Bignal, Eric M.; Bignal, Sue; McCracken, Davy I.; Monaghan, Pat. 2009 Population ecology and conservation of red-billed choughs in Scotland. Final report on Knowledge Transfer Project. NERC, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, 107pp. (Unpublished)

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Abstract/Summary

This report summarises the results of a Knowledge Transfer Research Project that was undertaken by Dr Jane Reid (University of Aberdeen), Professor Pat Monaghan, (University of Glasgow), Dr Eric and Mrs Sue Bignal (Scottish Chough Study Group) and Dr Davy McCracken (Scottish Agricultural College). Dr Maria Bogdanova was employed as the postdoctoral research assistant on the project. The work was carried out in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Funding was provided by a Knowledge Transfer Grant from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC, PIs P. Monaghan & J. Reid), with matching partnership funding and in-kind support from SNH and RSPB. The overall aims of the project were to develop the scientific understanding of the population ecology of choughs on Islay, and to use this understanding to inform the development of appropriate conservation strategies and policies. The project built on existing long-term research on Islay’s choughs. It involved further analysis of long-term data, plus two years of intensive fieldwork designed to answer specific questions. The work aimed primarily to understand the ecology of choughs in their sub-adult years (ie, from fledging to breeding age). Survival from fledging to breeding is a key factor in causing population change. However, relatively little was previously known about the behaviour and ecology of choughs during this time. This report provides an overview of the results of the scientific study and focuses on presenting the scientific evidence on which resulting recommendations for chough conservation management on Islay are based. The report is written with the intention of presenting the results of the data analyses, and the rationale underlying those analyses, in a way that is accessible to non-specialists. Further details of analyses and technicalities are provided in published, peer-reviewed papers and/or are available on request. The report provides information that will be of use to policy makers and conservation practitioners, and also highlights topics where further research is required before informed management decisions can be taken.

Item Type:	Publication - Report
Programmes:	CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biodiversity
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Watt
Funders/Sponsors:	NERC (Knowledge Transfer Grant), SNH, RSPB
Additional Keywords:	chough, population ecology, conservation, Scotland
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Management
Date made live:	13 Jun 2017 08:02 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/517111

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