A BIRD conservation charity has launched an appeal to fund research into the decline of farmland birds.

British Trust for Ornithology wants to find out more about the drop in numbers of species such as the Skylark and Yellowhammer.

BTO is keen to discover more about why agri-environmental schemes, although partially successful, have not reversed the decline.

Dr Gavin Siriwardena, principal ecologist at BTO, said: “Many of us thought we had solved the problem of farmland bird decline, but the latest evidence suggests more research is needed to find conservation solutions that really work.

“It is evident from our latest results that there is still much that we do not understand about how to reverse the declines, making our Farmland Bird Appeal all the more important.”