Press Releases - Nov/Dec 2005 - Item 3

No. 2005/11/37
17 November 2005

Looking for ‘lazy birds’

“Let’s not bother to go all the way to Africa this winter.” Hundreds of warblers that once would have been expected to spend the winter in Africa chose to stay in the UK last winter, according to Greg Conway of the BTO. Greg wants birdwatchers to be on the look-out for these ‘lazy birds’ again this winter.

Greg Conway, who is running the survey as part of his BTO-sponsored PhD, is enthusiastic about the results: “I am amazed by the number of warblers that were reported. I received information about a minimum of 1426 Blackcaps and 920 Chiffchaffs. More intriguingly, there were eight Willow Warblers, two each of Sedge, Reed and Garden Warbler, plus a single Whitethroat, all of which should have been south of the Sahara, and three Lesser Whitethroats, which should have been in East Africa.”

Over one thousand observers contributed to the survey – but Greg Conway hopes that even more keen birdwatchers get involved this year. “This is a great survey for birdwatchers to get involved in. We need reports of Blackcaps in gardens, Chiffchaffs at water treatment works and any rare warblers that twitchers find anywhere in Britain and Ireland.”

Reports of warblers, including Goldcrests, can be submitted via the internet, using BirdTrack, the on-line recording system run by BTO, RSPB and BirdWatch Ireland (www.birdtrack.net) or birdwatchers can contact Greg and ask for a form (01842 750050). The survey period is 1 November 2005 to 31 March 2006 (15 April for Blackcap records only).

Birdwatchers submitted records for 926 out of 3800 of the 10-km squares in Britain and Ireland. The table below summarises the number of squares in which each species was found, translates these figures into a percentage of the 926 and estimates the minimum number of individuals reported to Greg.

Results:

Notes:

1. Resident Goldcrests are joined by lots of winter migrants from Scandinavia.
2. Most of the Blackcaps wintering in the UK breed in central Europe.
3. More and more Chiffchaffs are wintering in the UK.
4. Cetti’s and Dartford Warblers do not migrate south for the winter. Warmer winters have suited these two species.
5. Red-letter day birds for birdwatchers and twitchers.
6. These species spend winter south of the Sahara.
7. Lesser Whitethroats migrate in a south-eastwards direction – via Italy to East Africa.
8. Small numbers of resident Firecrest are joined by hundreds of migrants from northern Europe.

Notes for Editors

1) Greg Conway is researching the wintering ecology of Chiffchaffs and other warblers in Britain and Ireland. Numbers of virtually all wintering warblers have increased, some quite considerably, over the last forty years.

2) BirdTrack is an on-line bird recording scheme (www.birdtrack.net) organised by BTO on behalf of BTO, RSPB and BirdWatch Ireland. To register for BirdTrack visit the BirdTrack website (www.birdtrack.net and click on the 'Register for BirdTrack' link). Registering is free.

3) Colour photographs. Images are freely available for use in association with this press release. Please contact to request electronic versions.

4) The BTO has an ISDN line available for radio interviews.

For further information please contact:

Greg Conway, Dawn Balmer or Graham Appleton
BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU.
Tel: 01842 750050
E-mail:

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