A new conservation partnership between Kynren – The Storied Lands and the UK’s leading bird of prey charity, the Hawk Conservancy Trust, will support the development of conservation and research work focused on birds of prey across the North East of England.
Announced ahead of the opening of Kynren – The Storied Lands this summer, the collaboration brings together the attraction’s specialist bird collection, The Lost Feather, and the Hawk Conservancy Trust with a shared aim of expanding knowledge about bird of prey populations in the region and contributing to wider national research efforts.
The project will use field surveys, habitat analysis and a variety of other conservation monitoring approaches to help strengthen the understanding of status of birds of prey populations in northern England. Centred on County Durham and surrounding areas, the project will be developed in collaboration with other organisations and interested parties to complement ongoing ornithological research in the North East.
By bringing together data, observations and expertise from a range of sources, the project hopes to operate on a larger scale than previously seen, building a clearer picture of how bird of prey populations are faring and identify opportunities to support their long-term conservation.
A central focus will be the Kestrel, one of Britain’s most recognisable birds of prey. Once a common sight hovering above fields and roadsides, Kestrels are now Amber listed as a species of conservation concern, with populations declining in many areas of the UK for reasons that are not yet fully understood.
The Hawk Conservancy Trust has been running a long-term Kestrel research programme in southern England for more than a decade to investigate these trends.
Through the new partnership, similar research will begin in the North of England, allowing findings from different parts of the country to be compared and contribute valuable information to the national picture.
Staff from The Lost Feather will work alongside volunteers, playing an important role in the programme and creating new opportunities for people with an interest in wildlife and conservation to become directly involved in research and fieldwork.
Jimmy Robinson, Curator of Birds and Conservation at The Lost Feather, said: “This partnership gives us the opportunity to contribute to the wider understanding of birds of prey in the North East while working alongside other organisations and individuals who already care deeply about these species.
“By sharing data, experience and expertise we can help strengthen the evidence base that supports long term conservation.”
As well as Kestrels, the nest box programme will also support Barn Owls, Tawny Owls and Little Owls. The aim being to increase the nesting opportunities for these species across a landscape where the availability of natural cavities and other traditional nest sites may have declined.
Penny Smout, CEO of the Hawk Conservancy Trust, said: “We are pleased to be working with Kynren and The Lost Feather to extend our research into another part of the country.
“Partnerships like this help build knowledge over time and encourage people to engage with the conservation of birds of prey in their own communities.”
The research programme will begin this year and is intended to develop over the coming years as further partnerships, volunteers and research opportunities emerge.
The work forms part of Kynren’s wider mission as an arts, education and conservation charity.
Alongside research initiatives, Kynren is involved in conservation breeding programmes for critically endangered species of vultures and maintains a strong focus on enhancing biodiversity across the site.