Call for volunteers to join Europe's biggest farmer-led bird counting scheme

The Game Conservancy Trust, a game and wildlife conservation charity is looking for volunteers to carry out bird counts on farmland across the country in spring and autumn in an effort to help restore the wild grey partridge, one of our most threatened birds.

The Game Conservancy Trust manages the National Grey Partridge Count Scheme, which is one of the most successful farmer-led bird monitoring schemes in Europe. But in order to save this rapidly declining gamebird, the Trust is eager to encourage more people to count grey partridges.

The wild grey partridge has suffered a massive population decline of more than 85% over the past three decades. Research by the Trust has revealed that a variety of causes have gradually eroded the partridge population, including lack of food, reduction in habitat, predators and weather.

"Establishing a team of bird-watchers to count partridges will make our existing count scheme even more successful and will add to our effort to save this iconic bird species," explains Dr Nick Sotherton, Director of Research with the Trust.

"Our National Count Scheme already receives contributions from more than 1,000 farmers, but on busy estates the partridge counts are sometimes missed. This information is vital. It helps us to form a national picture of the partridge population and this enables us to direct advice and support to areas where the population is still continuing to decline or has disappeared completely," continues Dr Sotherton."

This new initiative by the Trust forms part of a range of measures aimed at changing the fortunes of the wild grey partridge. People interested in participating in the count scheme should contact the Trust, who will match up volunteers with farmers or landowners who wish to have help counting their partridge populations in spring or autumn.

For further information on The Game Conservancy Trust's National Grey Partridge Count Scheme, or for a grey partridge conservation guide please contact: Neville Kingdon, The Game Conservancy Trust, Fordingbridge, Hampshire. SP6 1EF. Telephone: 01425 651066, e-mail: nkingdon@gct.org.uk or visit the Trust's website: www.gct.org.uk/partridge