Scotland's Wildlife – an assessment of biodiversity in 20

Table 8.2
Trends in woodland priority species status between 2005 and 2008
Source: Biodiversity Action Reporting System
Woodland species 2005 2008
Assessed in both years count % count %
Not a true species
Lost (pre BAP publication)
Lost (since BAP publication) 1 4
Declining (continuing/accelerating) 3 13 5 21
Declining (slowing) 4 17 2 8
Fluctuating - probably declining 1 4
No clear trend 7 29 3 13
Fluctuating - probably stable 1 4 2 8
Stable 7 29 8 33
Fluctuating - probably increasing
Increasing 2 8 2 8
The overall appraisal of woodland priority species is divergent (positive and negative
elements).
The wryneck, a sparrow-sized bird, is not easy to observe. Seen mostly in the spring
and autumn, it is a regular migrant to eastern Britain. The European population,
estimated at 350,000 – 1,000,000 pairs, accounts for less than half of its global
breeding range. In recent decades it has undergone a moderate decline (>10% overall)
across Europe. In Scotland, birds (probably of Scandinavian origin) were first recorded
in Highland pine and birch woods in 1951. Breeding was confirmed in 1969, with a peak
of seven pairs in 1977. Colonisation has since faltered, with no more than one pair
confirmed in any year since 1985. Breeding has not been recorded in Scotland since
2004.
A more complete account, although not comparable between years, is based on 31
assessments in 2005 and in 2008 (Table 8.3). The proportion of species that were
stable or increasing in 2008 (45%) exceeded those declining or lost (28%).
55