Press Releases - May/June 2007
Item 4

No. 2007/06/57
June 2007

Is the Kingdom of Fife important for garden birds?

If you live in Fife and feed the birds in your garden you could help the British Trust for Ornithology find out how, why and when birds use Fife’s gardens, and just how important they are.

Being bound to the north and south by large estuaries and having a long coastline, Fife holds important numbers of wildfowl, both during the summer and winter. Indeed it is probably the best place in the UK to see the rare Surf Scoter from North America. But just how important are the gardens of Fife for our birds? If you can tell the difference between a Blue Tit and a Blackbird, you could help to find out.

The BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch survey has been monitoring our garden birds since 1995 and is open to anyone that watches the birds in their gardens. Participants count the birds in their gardens for as little as one hour per week and report their findings back to the BTO. The House Sparrow is in long-term decline across English counties but is actually increasing in parts of Scotland. Do House Sparrows feed in your garden, and if so, how many? The BTO would like to know.

Jacqui Kaye of BTO Scotland said, “Many people wonder why we should record the common species that turn up in our garden but, the recent dramatic declines in birds, such as House Sparrow and Starling, show just how important it is to understand what is happening to garden birds. The fact that these declines have been less severe in many parts of Scotland, also show how important it is to know how garden birds are doing in different parts of the country. Often these local differences can give us clues that will help conserve these species.”

She added, “This is not just looking at the birds out of your window, this is looking at the birds out of your window and making a difference.”

Norman Elkins, BTO Regional Representative for Fife and Kinross, stated, “Garden BirdWatch data for Fife were a valuable source of information for the best-selling Fife Bird Atlas published in 2003. It is a habitat not monitored by any other survey method.”

The importance of recording the birds in our gardens can’t be underestimated; collectively they are the biggest nature reserve we have. By making simple notes of what you see in your garden, you can help us monitor what is happening, and the more people that take part, the greater understanding we will have.

To receive a free information pack about the survey, please send your name and address details to GBW, BTO Scotland, Cottrell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, email: or telephone 01786 466560.

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Notes for Editors

1. 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 16,500 people take part in the project, with just under 1,000 in Scotland. 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. CJ WildBird Foods is Europe’s leading supplier of bird food and bird feeding products. CJ WildBird Foods has been responsible for a number of significant developments within the bird food and feeding industry, including the introduction of black sunflower seeds to the UK as a major new bird food and the development of specialist seed mixes for use in tubular feeders. The company has also been supporting research into the changing fortunes of garden bird populations, most notably through the BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch.
3. Bird Table Magazine is published quarterly and sent free to all BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatchers. An annual subscription to the project costs just £12 and all new joiners will receive a free copy of the BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch Book (which normally retails for £9.99).
4. Images of garden birds are freely available for use in association with this press release. Please contact to request an electronic version. Please quote reference number 2007/06/57
5. The BTO has an ISDN line available for radio interviews.

For further information please contact:

Jacqui Kaye on 01786 466562 or e-mail: (during office hours)

Paul Stancliffe on 01842 750050 or e-mail: (during office hours)
or mobile 07845 900559 (anytime)

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

Norman Elkins on 01334 654348 (anytime)