ECRR > Member organisations > Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds - Scotland

The Society's primary aim is to conserve wild birds and the environment in which they live. The RSPB prides itself on using the best scientific evidence available to guide its conservation policies and practice.

The role of science in the RSPB

The Conservation Science Department supports the RSPB's aims with a wide range of autecological, surveying and monitoring studies, and the provision of scientific advice.

Science plays a number of distinct roles in RSPB's conservation work.

• Monitoring of birds and other taxa informs on the status of each species. This knowledge is used to set conservation priorities.
• Diagnosing the causes of unfavorable status using two overlapping approaches:
  • studies of a species' ecology;
  • studies of ecological processes, e.g. climate change.
• Testing solutions, ideally by experiment, prior to implementing these more widely;

Source: RSPB Conservation Science Department

The RSPB in Scotland

Conservation Science in Scotland

Recent autecological studies include:

• a survey of golden eagles in 2003;
• the status of UK seabird populations;
• ecology and conservation of the pine hoverfly;
• factors influencing breeding success for black-throated divers;
• managing lowland wet grassland for lapwing chicks;
• use of dead wood by birds at Abernethy Forest;
• management of Scottish native pinewoods to benefit capercaillie;
• impact of grazing on moorland breeding birds;
• ecology of twites on the Outer Hebrides;

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