Comes from During the recent Westminster moorland burning debate, in relation to tackling climate change and carbon release,…
Category: Fact Checks
Our Fact Checks examine relevant claims from the media, reports or manifestos; look into the evidence; and support, explain or correct them. Our aim is to assess the science behind these various claims to understand how well supported they are.
How many gamebirds are released in the UK per year?
What is the latest estimate and how accurate is it?
Is 75% of the world’s heather moorland in the UK?
This figure is widely quoted by many interested parties, holding different views about the management of…
Has there been a huge decline in the number of insects?
Car ‘splatometer’ tests reveal huge decline in number of insects. Research shows abundance at sites in…
Are released pheasants driving adders to extinction?
Pieces in both The Guardian and The Telegraph report on adder declines and the possible link…
Distribution of black grouse across the UK
This statement was made on Countryfile on 22nd March 2020, where the episode featured the conservation…
How many grey partridges are left?
This statement came from Short Cuts on Radio 4. The presenters claimed that “today there are…
Estimating the number and biomass of pheasants in Britain
The RSPB's Pat Thompson claimed on the BBC Radio 4's More or Less that at the…
Has the number of mountain hares fallen on grouse moors?
A story published on the BBC news website in August 2019 claimed that the number of…
Are hen harriers illegally killed on English grouse moors?
A scientific paper published in 2019 used radio tags to track hen harriers and results suggest…