Press Releases - March/April 2007
Item 9

No. 2007/04/44
April 2007

The birds and the bees

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust has teamed up with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to help discover more about Britain’s bumblebees. By enlisting the help of the BTO’s army of 16,000 Garden BirdWatchers, researchers at the Bumblebee Conservation Trust hope to track the changing fortunes of these endearing creatures.

Although the sight and sound of bumblebees, droning methodically from flower to flower, is a quintessential part of a summer’s day, many of our bumblebee species appear to be in decline, their distributions contracting rapidly. At the same time, a number of species (including one recent coloniser from France) are expanding and researchers are keen to find out the extent of such changes.

Despite the fact that these are familiar insects, there are surprisingly few bumblebee recorders and so our knowledge is lacking in some areas. In order to overcome this problem, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust has enlisted the help of the 16,000 participants in the BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch. These observers spend time each week primarily recording the birds that use their gardens. However, they have more recently started contributing records of other animals, like mammals, amphibians and butterflies; so why not bumblebees!

Adding bumblebees to the list of species that they cover has been very well received, not least because their interests often cover all sorts of wildlife, and not just birds. To help Garden BirdWatchers identify the 14 species of bumblebee most likely to occur in gardens, the two organisations have, with the help of illustrator Tony Hopkins, produced an identification chart.

As Mike Toms, Garden BirdWatch Organiser, notes “We are delighted to be able to help with this work. Gardens are an important habitat for wildlife and, on average, provide far more flowers than agricultural land. This makes them ideal places in which to monitor the changing fortunes of our more widespread bumblebees.”

Professor David Goulson, co-founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, added “We are very pleased to be working with the BTO and enlisting the help of the thousands of members of Garden BirdWatch to find out more about the distributions of our bumblebees. Many bumblebees now rely heavily on gardens which provide them with an abundance of flowers through the season, something that is often lacking in the surrounding countryside. By raising awareness of bumblebees in gardens, we also hope to encourage more bee-friendly gardening.”

If you want to find out more about how you can help with this survey, please send off for a free information pack. This is available from Garden Bumblebee Pack (BTO), FREEPOST IH2784, Norfolk, IP24 2BR. Alternatively, send your name and address details to or telephone 01842-750050.

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Notes for Editors

1) The BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch. The BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch is the only nationwide survey of garden birds to run weekly throughout the year, providing important information on how birds use gardens, and how this use changes over time. Currently, some 16,000 people take part in the project. 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. For more information see www.bto.org/gbw

2) The Bumblebee Conservation Trust. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust was founded with the aim of protecting bumblebees and their associated habitats through conservation and education. The Trust aims to prevent further declines, and to raise awareness of the problems bumblebees face. The Trust now has over 1,000 members, ranging from enthusiastic and concerned amateurs right through to internationally renowned research scientists. All share a common affection for these affable insects and a desire to see them conserved for future generations. For more information on the Bumblebee Conservation Trust please visit http://www.bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk/

3) There are 25 native species of bumblebee in Britain and Ireland. Three species have already become nationally extinct and five others are now designated as UK Biodiversity Action Plan species, in recognition of their precarious status; four others are scheduled for inclusion.

4) Colour photographs. Images of bumblebees are freely available for use in association with this press release. Please contact or to request an electronic version, quoting reference 2007/04/44.

5) The BTO has an ISDN line available for radio interviews. Please contact Mike Toms below to arrange an interview.

For further information please contact:

Mike Toms on 01842-750050 or email: (during office hours)

Dave Goulson on 01786 467759 or email: (during office hours)

Images for use alongside this press release are available from either or