The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has slammed paragliders who have been using its Labrador Bay site without permission.

Labrador Bay is a key RSPB site for preserving the Cirl Bunting, a rare farmland bird that was on the brink of extinction in the 1980s.

Located on the South West Coast Path, the RSPB Labrador Bay site is popular with walkers, visitors who enjoy the panoramic coastal views, and bird enthusiasts. However, its popularity with paragliders is not something the RSPB supports.

‘The RSPB has not given any individual or club permission to paraglide from RSPB Labrador Bay nature reserve. It is not permitted from the site and it could disturb our special Cirl Buntings which feed and breed on the nature reserve year-round,’ an RSPB spokesperson said.

Cirl Buntings have been on the UK red list since 1996 and can only be found in south Devon and Cornwall. The small birds inhabit the RSPB site at Labrador Bay all year.

‘We manage the nature reserve to provide breeding and wintering homes for the Cirl Buntings, a bird which has been brought back from the brink thanks to our partnership efforts at RSPB Labrador Bay and the surrounding countryside,’ the spokesperson pointed out.

In the spring and summer, the birds nest in the hedgerows and forage in the grass for food, such as grasshoppers, to feed their young.

Year round, but particularly in autumn and winter, Cirls and other wintering birds are active in the arable fields, feeding on the stubbles and seeds.

‘At any time of year, paragliders launching from the nature reserve could prevent Cirl Buntings feeding or using habitat that they need,’ the RSPB spokesperson explained.

Cirl Buntings are a Schedule 1 bird and are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence to disturb them at any time.

‘Paragliding is not something we support on site for this reason, and no one should be undertaking an activity without landowner consent, which we do not provide,’ emphasised the RSPB spokesperson.

‘Unfortunately, we have had issues with paragliders using the site for some years now. Our RSPB site team have engaged directly with the local clubs to inform them about not flying from the reserve. However, as the site isn’t manned all the time, we hear about these incidents after the event and often aren’t able to engage with the paragliders face-to-face,’ the spokesperson added.

The RSPB said it is attempting to contact local groups to remind them that paragliding is not permitted at RSPB Labrador Bay.

The British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (BHPA) and local paragliding groups, the South Devon Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club and Grupa 303, did not respond to requests for comment.

The South Devon Hang Gliding and Paraglding Club lists 19 other sites where permission has been agreed with the landowner on its website.