Passing on “The Knowledge”

The 5000^th BTO Bird Ringing Permit has been presented to Cambridge ringer, Richard Billington.  Dr Simon Cox, now the holder of the lowest permit number (13), presented Richard’s permit.  The recruitment and training of such new ringers is an integral part of the modern Ringing Scheme. 

26 year-old Richard began his ringing career in Israel, spending three months at the International Birdwatching Centre in Eilat.  Back in the UK, Richard now rings with the Wicken Fen Ringing Group in Cambridgeshire and at Portland Bird Observatory in Dorset.

Simon Cox was awarded permit number 13 in 1965, when the first ringing permits were issued.  Since qualifying as a ringer in 1960 he has made an enormous contribution to the scheme, ringing many thousands of birds as well as training other ringers.

In the photograph, Jacquie Clark (the Head of the BTO’s Ringing Unit) and Chris Thorne (who trained Richard) look on while Simon Cox presents Richard Billington with his ringing permit.

Since ringing permits were first introduced in 1965, 5000 volunteers have obtained a BTO bird-ringing permit.  Today, over 1,900 licensed ringers still operate and ring approximately 750,000 birds per year in Britain and Ireland.  Annually, 10,000 of these birds are found and reported to the BTO.  These reports come from our own ringers who recatch birds, and from members of the public who have found dead birds. 

The data gathered from ringing are vital for conservation planning, allowing decisions to be made on the basis of scientific facts.  For example, analysis of ringing data in a recent study into the decline of Starlings has shown that it is probably a decrease in the survival rate of birds (i.e. fewer birds survive from one year to the next) that has driven the decline.  This deeper understanding of bird populations can help policy makers to investigate the reasons for change, so that our countryside can be managed in a way which can reverse such declines.

Notes for editors

1. Part of the BTO Ringing Scheme is funded by a partnership of the BTO and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (on behalf of Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Countryside Council for Wales and the Environment and Heritage Service in Northern Ireland).  The Scheme also receives support from Duchas the Heritage Service - National Parks and Wildlife (Ireland).  Volunteer ringers give freely of their time and expertise and also provide a substantial part of the Scheme’s funding.

2. Ringing, as a practical science, can only be learnt working in the ‘field’ with a qualified Trainer, of which there are over 300 in the country.  The BTO runs the Ringing Scheme and issues ringing permits under licence from the Government agencies.  After undergoing a period of training, usually of two years or more, a successful trainee is awarded a C permit, allowing him or her to ring alone, but still on behalf of a trainer. 
   
   See: www.bto.org/ringing/ringinginfo/become-a-ringer.htm

For further information contact:

Mark Grantham on 01842 750050 or E-mail: ringing@bto.org (office hours)

Alternative photographs for articles are available from images@bto.org in electronic form.

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