Geltsdale’s Upland Birds: The Evidence Defra Needs

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Geltsdale’s Upland Birds: The Evidence Defra Needs

Quick summary

The 2005-07 survey recorded five upland waders at Geltsdale below average densities for the North Pennine Moors.
The report said livestock numbers and grouse-moor management “clearly play a major role” for golden plover.
Natural England does not hold Geltsdale’s bird-survey data, so the MA has asked the RSPB what it holds.
Members with long-term bird surveys should submit them to Defra’s Call for Evidence by 1 November 2026.

As Defra gathers evidence on gamebird management, the MA has obtained historic survey records for Geltsdale from Natural England. They provide a useful starting point for a current question: what comparable evidence shows how its upland bird populations have changed?

For MA members, this is important because any future assessment of changes to grouse-moor management should consider the consequences for wildlife. Defra needs evidence about the outcomes delivered by existing management and by the alternatives being considered. The same standard should apply to both.

What the historic survey showed

Natural England supplied the MA with the report and supporting material from the 2005-2007 breeding-bird survey of the North Pennine Moors Special Protection Area (SPA), designated for its important upland birds.

The survey covered 17 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), including Geltsdale and Glendue Fells. It recorded more than 26,000 breeding territories across 48 species and almost 70,000 individual bird records.

For several characteristic upland waders, the recorded densities at Geltsdale were below the average across the SPA.

The survey also recorded red grouse at 4.73 birds per square kilometre at Geltsdale, compared with 6.16 across the SPA.

The picture was different for whinchat. The report recorded 64 pairs on ungrazed sections of Geltsdale and specifically noted particularly high numbers on the RSPB landholding.

These comparisons require care. The report cautioned that the proportion and distribution of suitable habitat vary between SSSIs. The figures therefore provide a historic picture, but do not establish that a particular management regime caused the differences or show whether populations subsequently increased or declined.

Why management is important

The report’s discussion of golden plover helps explain why management belongs in the policy assessment.

Across the SPA, the survey recorded 4,171 breeding pairs, estimated at the time to represent 18.5% of the Great Britain population. The report described how vegetation height and the availability of open, sparsely vegetated areas influenced their distribution. It said that livestock numbers and grouse-moor management “clearly play a major role”.

It also concluded that, without grazing and heather burning, golden plover would become restricted to a narrower range of habitats.

Alongside the whinchat finding, this illustrates why different species need to be considered separately. Different vegetation structures favour different birds, and changing management can have ecological consequences. Those consequences need evidence too.

What evidence is the MA seeking now?

The historic survey cannot tell us what happened afterwards. To assess subsequent changes at Geltsdale, we need suitable later monitoring and a clear understanding of how the surveys compare.

The MA’s wider work on RSPB reserve monitoring has highlighted why that requires care. We examined its published Annual Reserve Avian Monitoring records, available through the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Atlas.

The RSPB has told the MA that those published records are unsuitable for formal trend analysis because survey methods and coverage may vary, and some sensitive-species information may be withheld or published with less location detail. We accept those limitations.

That correspondence concerns records from the wider reserve network. It should not be read as establishing a population trend for Geltsdale.

Separately, Natural England has confirmed that it does not hold the RSPB’s bird-survey data for Geltsdale and says those data are held by the RSPB.

The MA has asked the RSPB what fuller reserve-level monitoring information it holds, what baselines and benchmarks it uses to assess management outcomes, and whether it has analysed changes in key upland bird populations.

For Geltsdale, the question is what suitable evidence exists and what it shows. Any comparison will need to distinguish the RSPB holding from the wider SSSI and account for differences in survey methods, coverage and habitat.

If a comparable monitoring series is available, we would welcome its publication or inclusion in the evidence submitted to Defra. Its value lies in helping establish what happened, whatever the results show.

Help Defra see the evidence

Members can contribute to this work by submitting relevant evidence directly to Defra. Estates holding long-term breeding-bird surveys, comparable count data or other relevant monitoring should consider submitting it through Defra’s online Call for Evidence by 1 November 2026.

Include the survey methods, dates, area covered and known limitations so that the evidence can be assessed properly.

Members are also welcome to let the MA know what they have submitted by emailing info@moorlandassociation.org. This will help us understand the wider evidence base and avoid unnecessary duplication.

Evidence does not need to tell a particular story to be useful. It needs to be capable of being understood, tested and considered alongside the other material before Defra.

Source documents obtained from Natural England

The following documents were supplied to the MA in response to our Environmental Information Regulations request. We are publishing them so readers can examine the underlying material.

Natural England response to EIR2026/12258, 7 October 2026. The response identifies the historic material held and confirms that Natural England does not hold the RSPB’s Geltsdale bird-survey data.
North Pennine Moors SPA: Breeding Bird Survey 2005-07. The full survey report, including its findings and qualifications.
North Pennine Moors survey summary tables. Supporting tables showing species numbers and densities for each SSSI and the estimated national importance of the populations.
Natural England RFI 4405 response and internal correspondence, 2018. Earlier disclosure of the survey material and correspondence about other North Pennines surveys.