Press Releases - May/June 2008
Item 1

No. 2008/05/14
May 2008

Migratory birds – Ambassadors for biodiversity

In the true spirit of World Migratory Bird Day over the weekend 10-11 May, scientists from the British Trust for Ornithology will be ‘migrating’ to Delaware Bay on the west coast of North America, to take part in an international study monitoring the migration of the Knot, one of the world’s truly global migrants.

World Migratory Bird Day takes place every year to highlight bird migration across the world. In the UK most birdwatchers will have already seen Swifts and Swallows arrive. However, this is only part of the story. Every spring, an estimated five billion birds move from Africa to Europe, to take advantage of the northern summer, and, far from being a European phenomenon, this migration will be repeated around the globe, with an estimated 50 billion birds on the move. This huge movement will not go unnoticed, as ornithologists, both amateur and professional, will be monitoring their departures and arrivals.

As part of this global network, the BTO scientists and volunteers will join others from Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand in Delaware Bay to study one of the world’s ultimate migrants, the Knot. This small wading bird, at only 23cm long and weighing in at 150g, undertakes one of the longest journeys of any of the world’s birds. Each year it flies from its winter home in Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America, to the high arctic to breed. Over its twenty-year lifespan this is the equivalent of flying to the moon and back!

Its last stop before the high arctic will be Delaware Bay. Once here it will gorge itself on the eggs of the horseshoe crab, doubling its weight before continuing its journey north. However, overfishing of this living fossil in recent years has made it difficult for these birds to consume enough eggs to build the reserves for the last leg of their journey, and it would seem that more and more of them just don’t make it. Nigel Clark, of the British Trust for Ornithology, commented, “This illustrates perfectly the global nature of bird migration, the issues they face and the global nature of conservation in action. These birds know no borders and it is only fitting that the people that are studying them do likewise. Ten years ago approximately 60,000 Knot spent the winter in Tierra del Fuego. This has now dropped to around 15,000 birds.”

You might not be able to get to Delaware Bay this spring, but you can help by monitoring spring migration in this country. By recording the birds that you see this spring on BirdTrack, you will be helping the British Trust for Ornithology chart the arrival and movements of our summer visitors.Please see www.birdtrack.net. For more information on World Migratory Bird Day visit, www.worldmigratorybirdday.org

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Notes for Editors

1. World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is a global initiative devoted to celebrating migratory birds and for promoting their conservation worldwide. This year WMBD will take place on the weekend of 10-11 May and its central theme will be ‘Migratory birds – Ambassadors for biodiversity.’ World Migratory Bird Day is being organised by the Secretariat of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (UNEP/AEWA) together with the Secretariat of the Convention on Migratory Species (UNEP/CMS) – two United Nations (UNEP) administered environmental treaties dedicated to the conservation of migratory animals.
2. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is the UK’s leading bird research organisation. Over thirty thousand birdwatchers contribute to the BTO’s surveys. They collect information that forms the basis of conservation action in the UK. The BTO maintains a staff of 80 at its offices in Norfolk and Stirling, who analyse and publicise the results of project work. The BTO’s investigations are funded by government, industry and conservation organisations. www.bto.org
3. Scientists from the BTO will be arriving in Delaware Bay on the 10-11 May (World Migratory Bird Day) to begin the study of this spring’s Knot migration. Here they will look out for previously ringed and tagged birds and mark new birds. This particular study began in 1998.
4. BirdTrack is an online bird-recording scheme 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.
5. Colour photographs. Images of Knot and migrant birds are freely available for use in association with this press release. Please contact to request an electronic version. Please quote reference number 2008/05/14
6. The BTO has an ISDN line available for radio interviews.

For further information please contact:

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

John Tayleur on 01842 750050 (during office hours)

Graham Appleton on 01842 750050 or e-mail: (during office hours)