Press Releases - Nov/Dec 2005 - Item 15

No. 2005/12/44
December 2005

Record Breaking Birds

The latest annual report of the BTO Ringing Scheme reveals yet more
record-breakers: birds living longer and going tremendously long distances. Volunteer ringers caught and ringed more birds in 2004 than in any other year since ringing started in this country in 1909.

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Ringing Report, published in the journal Ringing & Migration this month, summarises the efforts of British & Irish bird ringers during 2004. During the course of this year (2005), BTO staff have been exchanging details with colleagues and birdwatchers around the world and the latest Report summarises all of this information.

Jacquie Clark, who heads the BTO Ringing Scheme said, “Producing the Ringing Report is always exciting but to break so many records in one year is tremendous. Bird ringers are telling us a lot about how bird migration patterns are changing but I should also like to thank the thousands of people each year who contact the BTO to tell us about ringed birds they find.”

Record numbers ringed:

BTO volunteers put rings on 881,920 birds in 2004, beating the previous record of 859,252 set in 1995. The record total was made up of 712,952 birds ringed as adults and 168,995 as nestlings. The top five species (for adults and nestlings) are given in the following table. (A table of the top five for each by country is given in the notes to editors.)

Commenting on these results, Mark Grantham, who works for the Ringing Scheme said, “Blue Tit is a predictable ‘winner’ in both categories but it is great to see Swallow in both top fives, and also the impressive total for nestling Tree Sparrows.”

The increase in the number of Tree Sparrows (up 70% since 2003) indicates the huge amount of effort that is going into research into the decline of this red-listed species.

Long-distance travellers in 2004:

The furthest recoveries of birds going south for the winter were:

Storm Petrel 9489 km Ringed in Yell Sound, Shetland (19.07.82)
Caught alive at sea off Namibia (24.02.04)
Common Tern 9817 km Ringed on Seal Sands, Teesmouth (23.08.03)
Caught by ringer in Lambert’s Bay, South Africa (16.06.04)
Swallow 9086 km Ringed in Jwaneng, Botswana (01.02.03)
Found dead at Whiting Bay, Waterford (13.06.03)

The longest east-west movements were:

Tufted Duck 3565 km Ringed in Deeping St James, Lincs (11.09.82)
Shot in the Salavatskiy district of Russia (12.09.04)
Curlew Sandpiper 4297 km Ringed in Taymyr part of Russia (07.07.02)
Ring read by ringer in Cresswell, Northumberland (10.08.03)

The longest west-east movement was:

American Wigeon 3997 km Ringed in Prince Edward Island, Canada (27.09.94)
Shot in Newtowncunningham, Down (October 03)

Living longer

Birds breaking BTO longevity records in the new Report (longest time recorded between ringing and found either dead or alive) are listed below. The 36 year-old Oystercatcher and Razorbill were still alive. They could still break their own records!

Notes for Editors

1. Ringing and Migration is a journal of the British Trust for Ornithology, published twice a year.

2. Volunteer ringers give freely of their time and expertise and also provide a substantial part of the funding for the Ringing Scheme. The Scheme is also funded by a partnership of the BTO and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) (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). The Scheme also receives support from Duchas the Heritage Service – National Parks and Wildlife (Ireland).

3. On average, less than one out of every fifty birds ringed is subsequently reported to the BTO, so every report of a ringed bird is of value. To report a ringed bird, phone 01842 750050, write to Ringing Unit, BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU or log on to www.ring.ac

4. Bird photographs are available for use alongside articles. E -mail with your request.

5. The BTO has an ISDN line available for radio interviews.

6. The ‘top five’ species ringed in each country:

For further information contact:

Jacquie Clark on 01842 750050 or E-mail: (office hours)
Graham Appleton on 01842 750050 (office hours) or E-mail:
Mobile 0797 4668503 (out of office hours)

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