Press Releases - January/February 2005

Item 4

23 February 2005

One-stop-shop – Latest changes in bird populations

The annual review of Britain’s bird numbers has just been put on the BTO web site. Here is a site that you need to book-mark. Headlines include bad news for Yellow Wagtails, Willow Warblers and Cuckoos but better news for Song Thrush, Marsh Tit and Reed Bunting

It is estimated that 30,000 people send bird records to the BTO each year; everything from weekly counts of garden birds to detailed maps of the birds seen along rivers and canals. Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside brings together results from many of these BTO-run surveys. It provides up-to-date information for about 100 breeding species, pointing out the winners and losers in the UK’s countryside.

Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside is put together by BTO staff as part of the partnership between BTO and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. JNCC acts on behalf of Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales, and also on behalf of the Environment and Heritage Service in Northern Ireland.

Stephen Baillie, the senior author of the report and the BTO’s Director of Populations Research said: “There is some good news to celebrate in this year’s Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside Report, especially the way that Song Thrush numbers have started to recover, but any optimism has to be tempered by caution. After all, only six out of 37 species with long-term declines have shown any improvement in the last ten years, despite efforts to provide space for birds within farmland. It may be several more years before we start to see the full benefits of recent conservation measures for farmland birds.”

Ian McLean, Head of Species Advice for JNCC said: “Volunteer birdwatchers, working with the BTO and other conservation charities, provide tremendously valuable information about what is happening to our common and once-common birds. Bringing this wealth of information together in one easy-access report provides us with a key tool for conservation.”

New worries:

Three new species have crossed the 50% decline threshold and may well appear in a future revision of the red list of birds of conservation concern. These are Yellow Wagtail (down 67% since 1967), Willow Warbler (-58%) and Cuckoo (-56%). The BTO is fortunate to have three staff with special expertise relating to these species. Please talk to Juliet Vickery (Yellow Wagtails), Dawn Balmer (Willow Warblers) and David Noble (Cuckoos). All are available on 01842 750050.

There is some good news too:

Declines of Marsh Tit, Song Thrush and Reed Bunting over the last 25 years are now less than 50% (since 1977) and hopefully, with continued improvements in status, it may be possible to move these species from the red to amber list of birds of conservation concern in future. The best signs of recovery are shown by the Song Thrush, which has gone up in number by 20% in the last ten years.

Dr Rob Robinson, Senior Population Biologist at the BTO said, "Song Thrushes have reacted badly to the drainage and drying out of the British countryside and it could be that damper summers have been good news for the species. It is just so much easier to find nice, juicy earthworms when the ground is damp".

Notes to editors:

1. Please see www.bto.org/birdtrends2004/key_findings.htm for more information.

2. The BTO is the UK’s leading bird research organisation. Over thirty thousand birdwatchers contribute to the BTO’s surveys. They collect information that forms the basis of conservation action in the UK. The BTO maintains a staff of 80 at its offices in Norfolk and Stirling, who analyse and publicise the results of project work. The BTO’s investigations are funded by government, industry and conservation organisations.

3. The JNCC is the forum through which the three country conservation agencies - the Countryside Council for Wales, Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage - deliver their statutory responsibilities for Great Britain as a whole, and internationally. These responsibilities contribute to sustaining and enriching biological diversity, enhancing geological features and sustaining natural systems. As well as a source of advice and knowledge for the public, JNCC is the Government's wildlife adviser, providing guidance on the development of policies for, or affecting, nature conservation in GB or internationally. Website: www.jncc.gov.uk

4. Images to use alongside this story are freely available from the BTO, including outside office hours. E-mail

For further information please contact:

BTO
Mike Raven on 01842 750050 or e-mail: during office hours
Graham Appleton on 01842 750050 during office hours, e-mail:
or 0797 4668503 anytime

JNCC
Dr Ian McLean or Communications Team on 01733 562626

Back to Index of Press Releases of 2005

Next 2005 Press Release