Press Releases - March/April 2005

Item 4

1st March 2005

Millions of birds shun garden feeding stations

New figures from the BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch show that birds have shunned bird tables and hanging bird feeders this winter, a result of the tremendous seed and berry crops produced during the autumn of 2004, and the mild frost-free conditions.

Garden bird tables and hanging feeders are usually heavily used by visiting birds during the winter months but, as new results from the BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch show, most gardens have been very quiet this winter. The results for the first half of the winter, published today, show that the use made of gardens during this period was down on the same period last year for 33 of 52 species studied (see Notes for Editors for main findings).

As the Garden BirdWatch Organiser, Mike Toms, notes;
‘We have been inundated with phone calls from garden birdwatchers this winter, all concerned about the lack of birds visiting their gardens. Many have noted how the food in their hanging feeders and on their bird tables is hardly being touched and that flocks of visiting Chaffinches and Greenfinches are either much reduced or absent altogether. The most noticeable differences have been for those species (e.g. Chaffinch, Coal Tit and Nuthatch) that feed on tree seeds, particularly those of beech. This suggests that the massive seed crops of last autumn have allowed many birds to remain within woodland, rather than visit gardens in search of food.’

‘Another factor has been the mild weather: with few frosts, the ground has remained soft and birds like Blackbird, Song Thrush and Starling have been able to reach worms and other soil-living invertebrates instead of having to rely on supplementary food provided in gardens. While this is bad news for garden birdwatchers, it is good news for the birds.’

‘We fully expect the numbers of birds visiting gardens to pick up over the next few weeks, as the seed and berry stocks run out, and we want to have more garden birdwatchers in place across the country to pick up any sudden influx of birds into gardens. Anyone interested in taking part in Garden BirdWatch can request a free enquiry pack by writing to GBW (05), FREEPOST, NORFOLK, IP24 2BR, by telephoning 01842-750050 or by emailing ’

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. Some 17,500 people take part in Garden BirdWatch nationwide and record the birds using their gardens from week to week.

2. Figures for seed-eating species specialising on beech seed are: Nuthatch (down 31%), Coal Tit (down 17%), Chaffinch (down 8%) and Great Tit (down 6%). In many parts of the country, the 2004 crop of beech seed was the heaviest since 2000, while the crop of conifer seeds was the heaviest since 1995.

3. Corresponding figures for species that feed on worms and other soil-living invertebrates are: Song Thrush (down 28%), Mistle Thrush (down 11%), Starling (down 11%) and Blackbird (down 7%). There were just 29 days between October and December 2004 where a ground frost was recorded, compared with a long-term average of 38 days (1961-1990).

4. Figures are also available at the regional level. Please contact Mike Toms for corresponding figures for your local area.

5. 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.

6. Garden birdwatchers can discover which birds are likely to be found in their gardens by visiting www.postcodebirds.bto.org and entering their postcode.

7. In a normal year, sales of bird food and bird feeding products typically exceed 180 million pounds retail. With such quiet gardens this winter, sales are likely to be down.

8. Colour photographs of garden birds are freely available from the BTO Image Library for use in association with this press release. Please contact to request an electronic version of an image.

Contacts

Mike Toms (Garden BirdWatch Organiser)
Phone: Office – 01842-750050

BTO Digital Image Library
Phone: Office – 01842-750050
Email: (also available evenings and weekends)

Graham Appleton (BTO Press Officer)
Phone: Office – 01842-750050

Email:

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