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Armchair birdwatchers needed in Jersey The British Trust for Ornithology urgently needs more armchair birdwatchers to take part in its Garden BirdWatch project in Jersey. The project is designed to monitor the changing fortunes of garden birds in Jersey and needs more participants to ensure that the results it produces really do reflect what is happening in the island’s gardens. Garden bird tables and hanging feeders are most heavily used by visiting birds during late winter, providing an ideal opportunity for armchair birdwatchers to find out which species are visiting their gardens. Many Jersey residents take a real interest in their garden birds but only 1 currently participates in the British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO) Garden BirdWatch project. With some 17,500 participants nationwide, Garden BirdWatch is the largest project of its type anywhere in the World. Participants keep a simple record of the bird species visiting their gardens and this information is then used by researchers to keep track of the changing fortunes of our garden bird species. The Norfolk-based Trust wants to ensure that it has sufficient numbers of gardens involved within Jersey to produce a reliable picture of what is happening to garden birds on the island. As the Garden BirdWatch Organiser, Mike Toms, notes; ‘The loss of familiar species like House Sparrow and Song Thrush is very worrying and both species have now been listed as being of high conservation concern. Such declines in urban and suburban bird populations would have largely gone unnoticed were it not for the efforts of volunteers taking part in the BTO’s garden bird surveys. If we can involve more people in Garden BirdWatch in Jersey then we will have enough observations to properly monitor garden birds on the island. Realistically, we need many more participants on Jersey to ensure that we have the information needed to monitor garden birds on the island. I would urge anybody with a garden and an interest in garden birds to get involved in this project.’ Garden BirdWatch is
a unique project, in that it is funded through the contributions
made by those taking part. In return, participants receive a quarterly
colour magazine and all new participants will receive a free 128-page
book on garden birds. A free enquiry pack is available from GBW
(LP), FREEPOST, Norfolk, IP24 2BR, by phoning 01842-750050 or by
emailing gbw AT bto.org. Notes for editors 1. The BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch is the only nationwide survey of garden birds to run continually throughout the year, providing important information on how birds use gardens, and how this use changes over time. For more information see: http://www.bto.org/gbw/ 2. Some 17,500 people take part in Garden BirdWatch nationwide and record the birds using their gardens from week to week. Currently, just 1 person takes part in Jersey. 3. Channel Island garden birdwatchers can discover which birds are likely to be found in their gardens by visiting www.postcodebirds.bto.org and entering their postcode. 4. The BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch is funded by participants’ contributions and supported by CJ WildBird Foods Ltd and is the largest year round survey of garden birds anywhere in the World. 5. Colour photographs
of garden birds are freely available from the BTO Image
Library for use in association with this press release. Please contact
images@bto.org to request an electronic version of an image. 5. Contacts. Mike Toms (Garden BirdWatch
Organiser) BTO Digital Image Library |
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