Written question asked by Mark Tami (Labour) on Friday, 7 October 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 10 October 2005. It was answered by Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour) on Monday, 17 October 2005 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Birds

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate of the (a) sparrow and (b) buzzard population has been in each of the last five years.

Answer: The latest (2000) figures from the Avian Population Estimates Panel suggest a GB buzzard population of between 36,000 and 51,000 pairs. The latest (2000) figures from the Breeding Birds Survey/Common Birds Census suggest a GB house sparrow population of between 2,300,000 and 4,100,000 birds. There are no annual counts, but buzzard population trends in the UK between 1994 and 2004 show a 53 per cent. increase, while house sparrow trends were down by 3 per cent. In England over the same period, buzzard populations show a 79 per cent. increase with house sparrow trends down by 10 per cent.Annual population statistics do not exist for Buzzard. The most recent UK population estimates are set out as follows. The estimate for Buzzard is known to be a significant underestimate, but there has been no formal survey of its current UK population size.Buzzard"1983 (Northern Ireland) and 1988–1991 (Great Britain)""12,000–17,000 pairs"

Secondary information