Press Releases - March/April 2008
Item 7

No. 2008/03/12
March 2008

Neighbourhood (bird) Watch? Spies needed

The BTO is looking for people to spy on their neighbours; to provide intimate details of what Blue Tits and Great Tits across the UK are up to in the privacy of their own homes. Dave Leech of the British Trust for Ornithology wants to know whether gardens have replaced woodlands as the best places to raise broods of young tits. Are city slickers out-competing their country cousins?

While species such as Blue Tit, Great Tit and Robin are commonly referred to as ‘garden birds’, they are traditionally woodland species that have increasingly taken advantage of the green spaces in areas of human habitation. But just how successful are these city dwellers when compared to their country cousins? As more of the British countryside is developed to meet the needs of the human population, this question is becoming increasingly important and the data collected by Nest Box Challenge (www.bto.org) will help to answer it.

Each participant in Nest Box Challenge, run by the BTO in partnership with BBC Breathing Places, is asked to record whether or not their nest box is used during the season and, where possible, the number of eggs and chicks that are produced by the birds nesting in it. (For the thousands of people who have bought nest box cameras this will be really easy). During 2007, over 12,000 nest boxes were registered for the Nest Box Challenge and already in 2008 over 1,000 more have been added to this total.

Dr Dave Leech, Head of the BTO Nest Record Scheme, said, “The response to the Nest Box Challenge so far has been fantastic, but there must still be tens of thousands of unregistered boxes out there. Each box that is registered gives us a more complete picture of just how well our gardens provide for breeding birds in comparison to more natural habitats. So, why not join the Challenge and become a bird researcher today?”

Dave added, “While the first Blackbirds and Robins may already have laid eggs, the majority of Blue Tits and Great Tits are only just starting to look for sites and to build their nests, so there is still plenty of time to take part. Species such as Robin may have more than one brood in the same box, so it’s worth checking your boxes regularly until the end of the summer.”

It’s not just Blue Tits and Great Tits that need new housing. As we refurbish houses and remove old trees, so we reduce the number of natural cavities available to species such as Starling and House Sparrow, both of which are currently in decline, as is the Spotted Flycatcher, which will soon be returning from Africa to breed. It is vital that we collect more information on the breeding success of these species as well, so that we can understand exactly why their numbers are falling, So, put up a nest box today and really make a difference by registering it for the Nest Box Challenge at www.bto.org!

For information on the different types of nest boxes, or on how to build your own, visit www.bto.org/nnbw

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Notes for Editors

1. BTO Nest Box Challenge. People are being asked to take up the Nest Box Challenge and register the nest boxes in their gardens, then follow the fortunes of their feathered neighbours. This is being run in conjunction with the BBC’s Breathing Places campaign - for further information on the Challenge visit www.bto.org
2. People who register their nest boxes on the BTO web pages, as part of the Nest Box Challenge, will be asked to provide simple information about their gardens and nest boxes. Then, as the season progresses, each observer will be able to report on which species move in and whether their birds breed successfully. This will provide important information on whether boxes are more successful in different types of gardens, whether different species use nest boxes in different areas of the country, how much later nest building starts in the north of Britain than in the south. We’ll also be able to compare this year’s summer with last year’s wash out.
3. More than 60 species of birds have been recorded using nest boxes. Most commonly, Blue and Great Tits, House Sparrows and Starlings will use the typical round hole design, while Robins, Blackbirds and Spotted Flycatchers prefer open-fronted boxes.
4. Breathing Places aims to inspire millions of people to get involved with nature, through hands on participation. The campaign aims to build an ‘active’ community via a series of simple and high impact programme-led outreach activities. Everything from exploring and enjoying nature, to planting trees and putting up nest boxes, to transforming the places where you live (for people & wildlife). See www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces.
5. It is quite safe for the birds if you look into nest boxes, but care needs to be taken so please see the guidance notes on the BTO website.
6. Photographs are available for use with this press release. Contact for electronic versions. Please quote 2008/03/12
7. The BTO has an ISDN line available for radio interviews.

For further information please contact:

Graham Appleton on 01842 750050 or e-mail: (during office hours)

Dr Dave Leech on 01842 750050 or e-mail: