Avian Influenza is killing large numbers of Black-headed Gulls at inland and coastal breeding colonies across central and northern England, prompting fears among scientists that a new wave of the disease could be building. Researchers from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) want members of the public to help track the spread of Avian Influenza by reporting all dead birds through both the BirdTrack app and to Defra. In Northern Ireland, dead birds should be reported both through BirdTrack and DAERA. More than 1,500 Black-headed Gulls are thought to have been killed by Avian Influenza at Marsh Lane Nature Reserve near Coventry, while around 800 are feared to have died at RSPB St Aidans, near Leeds, and around 250 at Rutland Water. The majority of sick or dying Black-headed Gulls confirmed to have Avian Influenza have been reported from sites between Buckinghamshire and Yorkshire, with cases also reported in Surrey and Montgomeryshire. Although only a relatively small number of dead birds are tested for Avian Influenza, current sampling suggests very large numbers of Black-headed Gulls are already affected. All dead and sick birds of any species should be reported to BirdTrack, which allows researchers to follow the disease’s geographical spread and rapidly assess potential impacts on populations, and to Defra, so that if needed, dead birds can be collected for testing. These sources indicate that more than 4,000 Black-headed Gulls have died in just the past few weeks, and that the mortality rate is increasing. This figure suggests that over 1% of the 140,000 pairs of Black-headed Gull thought to breed in the UK each year have died in the last few weeks - this in a normally long-lived species with a typical lifespan of 11 years is concerning. Worryingly, the breeding population has already been in decline for a number of years, and the species was placed on the Amber List of Birds of Conservation Concern in 2021. The impact Avian Influenza will have on this already struggling species remains unclear, but if the current rate of mortality continues it has the potential to have a large impact on this familiar and charismatic species. Black-headed Gulls nest alongside other species, such as Common Tern, Sandwich Tern and Avocet: there are concerns that these too might be affected. Similar mortalities among Black-headed Gulls were reported in France earlier this year, followed by birds in the Low Countries, Italy and Germany. Data from bird ringing show that Black-headed Gulls that breed in the UK often spend the winter in western continental Europe before migrating north, indicating a possible route of transmission. Large numbers of dead birds are now also being reported at breeding colonies in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Poland. Such widespread impacts across Europe would be likely to significantly reduce the number of wintering birds that return to the UK next autumn and winter. Members of the public are reminded not to touch dead or sick birds and to keep dogs on leads to prevent them from scavenging on carcasses. Professor James Pearce-Higgins, BTO Director of Science, said, “Last year saw Avian Influenza kill tens of thousands of seabirds at the UK’s internationally important coastal breeding colonies. The latest news about Black-headed Gulls shows that the virus is now impacting inland colonies, too. Black-headed Gulls breed at a wide range of inland water bodies, which makes them much more obvious to members of the public. Everyone can help us to understand more about the ongoing outbreak of this very worrying disease by reporting any dead birds they do see via BirdTrack and to Defra’s online portal.” Professor Phil Atkinson, BTO Head of International Research said, “The first reports of large mortalities started in the last week of March with, for example, dozens of dead birds being reported at Rutland Water and Marsh Lane Nature Reserve. Since then, the numbers of sick and dead birds has increased rapidly with reports coming in from across central England. By late April and early May, BirdTrack received the first reports of coastal sites being affected and the spread is likely to increase to other parts of the UK.”

The UK is home to 73 million fewer birds today than it was in 1970, according to research from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) published today, International Dawn Chorus Day. This staggering number – a decline of almost a third – is almost impossible to comprehend, but many older people will be aware of the disappearance of certain species, such as Cuckoo and Turtle Dove, from their local area. Alongside this headline figure, BTO has created a website so that anyone can discover which species would once have been on their doorstep but are now a distant memory, simply by entering their postcode. Almost 30 million House Sparrows, 20 million Starlings, 4 million Skylarks, 2 million Blackbirds and 1 million Chaffinches have vanished from the UK since 1970, scientists found by comparing the results of BTO-led surveys from across a 50 year period. The results paint a shocking picture of loss, with familiar birds as well as rarer species disappearing from our towns and countryside at an unprecedented rate. The estimated losses actually total 114 million individuals (or 57 million breeding pairs). The losses are masked in part by increases in certain other species, including some familiar residents (e.g. Wren, Woodpigeon and Blackcap), and new arrivals (e.g. Little Egret and Cetti’s Warbler). The growing numbers of these species, which result in gains of c. 41 million individuals, do not compensate for the extraordinary losses overall, resulting in a net loss of 73 million individuals. Head to Birds on Your Doorstep to find out which species have been lost where you live. Professor Juliet Vickery, BTO Chief Executive, says, “BTO’s wealth of data means we can confidently report this alarming drop in the UK’s breeding bird population. Presenting these results at the local level, so that anyone can see the changes that have happened on their doorstep simply by entering their postcode, delivers a powerful message that the UK’s birds are in trouble, and that we all need to do more. In the last 50 years, my own area of Cambridgeshire farmland has experienced some of the highest declines of species in Britain and Ireland. I can no longer hope to hear Nightingales singing or enjoy House Martins quite literally sharing my home. Future generations may well not hear or see Song Thrushes, Cuckoos or Kestrels in the area either. We must all do more to reverse these relentless declines and we need to do it urgently.” Dr Rob Robinson, BTO Associate Director of Science, who led on the project, says, “Some detective work was required to assemble different sources of information, particularly as recording was more fragmented back in 1970. Counting birds on such a large scale isn’t easy and some numbers are difficult to ascertain. However, we’re lucky to have the help of thousands of highly skilled volunteers who have seen for themselves the way that birds have disappeared from UK landscapes.”

The first Cuckoo from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Cuckoo Tracking Project to arrive back in the UK reached his breeding grounds in Wales over the weekend, researchers revealed today. The bird, named JAC, arrived near the Welsh town of Llangollen, marking the end of an extraordinary 12,000 km round trip between the UK and the rainforests of central Africa, where JAC and the other BTO Cuckoos spent the winter. JAC is one of more than 100 Cuckoos to have been fitted with a lightweight satellite tag by BTO scientists investigating the behaviour of these remarkable birds. The project, now in its 12th year, has revealed the different routes the species takes on migration and a range of factors that may be responsible for its decline in the UK. We’ve lost more than a third of our Cuckoos since the mid-1990s, putting this once ubiquitous bird and its mesmerising song at risk of disappearing from the UK altogether. After spending the winter in the Democratic Republic of Congo, JAC began his long journey back to the UK on 22 February. First he flew almost 2,000 km north-west to Nigeria and then another 1,400 km west to Guinea, where he spent a month feeding up in preparation for the arduous Sahara crossing ahead. JAC’s non-stop flight over the world’s largest desert came at the end of March, after which he arrived in his next staging area, the mountains of southern Spain. JAC was tagged in June 2021 close to where he is right now (Cuckoos return to the same area each year to breed). He is named in loving memory of Professor Jenny Clack, a palaeontologist widely acknowledged as the leading authority on the evolution of land vertebrates from fish. The name was chosen by Jenny’s husband Rob, who said: ‘It seemed appropriate I should contribute to this important scientific study of Cuckoos in memory of a top-class scientist, whom I adored.’ Dr Chris Hewson, BTO Cuckoo Tracking Project lead, says, It’s great to see JAC back at his breeding site, blazing the trail for the other tagged cuckoos following in his wake. Forthcoming results from this project examine what determines when the Cuckoos arrive back to the UK, and highlights some of the stresses that these birds are under trying to keep pace with climate change and the need to arrive back in time for ever-earlier springs. Every migration we track adds to our growing knowledge of these birds’ lives and helps us to understand how we can best help them to adapt to our rapidly changing world. Dr Ieuan Evans, BTO Director of Engagement, says, The return of the first BTO Cuckoo each year is always cause for celebration. But, like many long-distance migrants, this species is in steep decline in the UK. We urgently need to learn more about the challenges Cuckoos face here and elsewhere in their range. Through this project we have revealed the wintering grounds of UK Cuckoos and the routes they take to get there and back. Our scientific research has shown that a Cuckoo’s chances of survival are strongly impacted by the route it takes between the UK and Africa. With improved information we stand a much better chance of conserving this magical species. Follow all the BTO Cuckoos and learn more about the migration tracking project.