Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to halt the decline of the Aquatic Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Wood Warbler and Savi's Warbler over the last five years.

Wood warbler

Under Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme there is currently a research project in New Forest and Devon which aims to address the drivers behind the wood warbler’s population declines.

Aquatic warbler

The aquatic warbler’s most regularly used locations, largely in southern England, are protected and managed within Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), and the two most important are classified as Special Protection Areas.

Savi’s warbler

Savi’s warbler is a very rare breeding species but most breeding locations are within protected SSSIs. They are given special protection under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Marsh warbler

Marsh warblers are very rare breeding birds; breeding locations are sporadic and transient and much apparently suitable habitat remains unoccupied. Some of the sites historically used by marsh warblers are protected SSSIs.

Defra supports the International Convention on Migratory Species and its Migratory Landbirds Action Plan, which promotes positive conservation actions outside the UK nesting areas of the aquatic warbler, marsh warbler, wood warbler and Savi's warbler, which are all trans-Saharan migrants, wintering in Africa.