A new study led by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) examines the benefit of well-managed protected areas for declining bird populations. Nature is declining faster than at any time in human history, with an estimated one million species across the globe currently threatened with extinction due to human activities. In December 2022, a landmark agreement called the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was established by world leaders from 196 nations, to halt nature loss and prevent ecosystem collapse. One of the Framework’s key targets, known as ‘30 by 30’, was to protect 30% of the world’s land, coastal waters, and oceans by 2030. This has led to a rapid expansion in land being designated as specially protected in recent years. We know that protected areas benefit biodiversity. It’s also true that some protected areas are in a better state than others – for example, some experience pressures from pollution, non-native species, or unsustainable practices. So, as well as designating new protected areas, we need to understand how much could be gained from managing protected areas to reduce pressures and recover from previous impacts. In the UK, protected areas are categorised as being in favourable or unfavourable ‘condition' for biodiversity based on attributes such as habitat extent and structure, or the species present, with management generally needed to improve unfavourable sites. The BTO-led research, in partnership with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), compared protected areas that were in a favourable versus an unfavourable condition, and how breeding bird populations fared across the various types. As expected, the areas in the best condition generally saw positive impacts for more species. For example, Common Tern, Dunlin, Tree Sparrow, Red Kite, and Swift, showed improved abundances or population trends. However, across the UK, even protected areas in poor condition allowed some scarce and specialist birds such as Cuckoo, Marsh Tit and Sand Martin to benefit to a degree, since the rare habitats on which they depend are often found only within these areas. The findings of this research suggest that by improving protected areas in unfavourable condition we can deliver benefits to species recovery. The study highlights the importance for policy actions to include effective conservation management, as well as the provision of land itself. If biodiversity targets are to be met, the condition of the protected areas, as well as their size and number, is also important. Simply achieving the ‘30 by 30’ target, without ensuring that the areas are managed well, is unlikely to be sufficient to restore biodiversity. Dr Caroline Brighton, BTO Research Ecologist, said, By looking at the condition of protected areas in relation to bird numbers, we were able to shed light on what we’d long suspected – the quality of the areas matters if we want to boost biodiversity. Even small well-managed sites might be considerably more productive for common birds than significantly larger areas that are in poor condition. By improving our understanding of quality over quantity we can hopefully demonstrate how protected areas might be designated and maintained in order to deliver on the ‘30 by 30’ targets in the most effective way for birds and broader biodiversity. Hannah Hoskins, from JNCC, said, We are interested in how best to achieve nature recovery so we need to understand how important different policies are for reaching that goal. This study provides important evidence to show that improving protected area management complements increasing the extent of protected areas, and so both will be needed to reverse biodiversity declines. It also illustrates the need to consider policy options in combination rather than individually, and the value of long-term large-scale citizen science datasets such as the Breeding Bird Survey for building this understanding. Diana Bowler, Interdisciplinary Ecologist at UKCEH, said, While the long-term declines of many UK species are troubling, these findings highlight the success that can be achieved when conservation action is implemented on the ground. Protected areas are a key part of this conservation action and need to be cherished for the long-term. Read the full paper

British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has developed an app that will enable birdwatchers and scientists to delve deeper into species identification by analysing bird droppings. BTO has been involved in the development of Acoustic Pipeline technology for several years. This innovative tech utilises ultrasonic and audible sound recordings in the detection and identification of wildlife, including birds, bats, and even bush-crickets and moths. Building on these developments, scientists at BTO have now created an app, nicknamed ‘The Poopline’ that will allow naturalists to accurately identify bird droppings to species and subspecies level. Using ultrasound DNA sampling, any bird faeces can now be scanned in the field, to confidently reveal the identity of the bird responsible for the deposit. Want to know whether that splatter on your window came from a Herring or Lesser Black-backed Gull? Keen to know which bird has been roosting under your eaves? Trying to determine the exact race of that tricky, pale late-autumn Lesser Whitethroat Previously, the only way to carry out this kind of work was to physically collect a sample and send it the University of Aberdeen for screening. Of course many cryptic species’ identities have been revealed this way (Stejneger’s Stonechat, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, Acadian Flycatcher, etc.) but there are still a number of pitfalls with this methodology. Indeed, currently there is only a 50% chance of successfully generating an ID from a faecal sample. It is hoped that the new app, which is scheduled for launch today (1 April 2024), will help birders and researchers unlock the many mysteries contained within avian evacuations. Prof. S. Platter, Systems Head (Information Technology) at BTO, said, This new technology, with easy-to-use software and machine-learning algorithms, will help take the guess work out of tricky identifications, and will expand our knowledge of vagrancy in birds. With a simple photo, we can gather essential data without having to scrape the bottom of the barrel, branch or fencepost.

Research undertaken by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) predicts that the Red Kite population of Wales is likely to be resilient to the development of future wind farms. It is widely understood that there is a growing need for more renewable energy generation across the UK to mitigate the impacts of climate change. However, the development of renewable energy infrastructure could have consequences for attempts to safeguard habitats and the species they contain. One area of tension has been the potential threats posed to birds by wind turbines. In our need to secure more energy from clean and renewable sources, are we unwittingly in danger of causing irreversible damage to some of our most threatened wildlife? The Red Kite population in Wales has bounced back from near extinction thanks to conservation efforts, but possible threats to their ongoing recovery are of critical concern. This has resulted in understandable caution regarding where new onshore wind farm developments are proposed. To help clarify these considerations, BTO researchers were asked to investigate the extent to which current and future wind farms represent a threat to the Welsh Red Kite population. The research concluded that, whilst commissioning of the suite of wind farm projects currently in development might slow down the growth of the Red Kite population, it is very unlikely to result in an overall population decline. However, local declines are more probable in areas of high turbine density, and this is especially relevant in proximity to the two Special Protection Areas (SPA) which were designated, in part, because of their Red Kite populations – the Berwyn SPA and Elenydd-Mallaen SPA. Ultimately, the study shows that the continued growth of the Red Kite population in Wales is resilient to development of the right renewables in the right places. This work will help to inform planning and decision-making in the Welsh onshore wind energy sector. Callum Macgregor, Senior Research Ecologist with BTO, said “The project highlights the value of a partnership approach to address a serious conservation question – funded by industry, coordinated by BSG Ecology, using BTO’s expertise and nest recording and ringing data provided by Welsh Kite Trust, to deliver robust, independent evidence.” Rob Thomas, Senior Lecturer at Cardiff University School of Biosciences, said “It has been excellent to see the wind power industry taking seriously its potential impacts on wildlife and ecosystems, in this instance by funding independent research led by BTO into potential population-level effects of wind farm construction on Red Kites. The results are illustrative of how such effects can be robustly estimated, and — where necessary — minimised.” Owain Gabb, Director at BSG Ecology, said “It has been a pleasure to see the openness of the renewables industry in Wales to engaging with this project. The study demonstrates that with appropriate consideration at the design stage, wind farms are unlikely to affect Welsh Red Kite populations at the regional or national level, which is a very positive outcome.” Read the full report This project was funded by RenewableUK Cymru, a body representing the renewables sector, and utilised the expertise of ecological consultants from BSG Ecology and academics from Cardiff University.

Revealing new research has shown how an endangered seabird is converging on specific stopping off points in the Atlantic Ocean during migration, helping scientists to better understand the bird’s conservation needs. Migrating birds can face a wide range of challenges. Whether they are crossing seemingly endless deserts, flying over towering mountains or traversing vast open seas, these hardy globetrotters often need to navigate more than simply the landscape beneath them. Sudden changes in weather conditions, pressures from hunting and the appearance of human-made infrastructure can all play a part in disorientating, diverting or delaying the long-distance travellers. Migration is not always as straightforward as getting from a starting point to an end destination; the route taken is often every bit as important, as is the availability of suitable stopovers where they can refuel for the next stage of the journey. A new study by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), in collaboration with scientists from several other research organisations, has revealed how one species, the highly migratory Arctic Skua, uses predetermined, mid-ocean meeting points while undertaking epic annual journeys. Arctic Skuas are impressive birds. Their preferred way of feeding is by stealing from other seabirds, which they relentlessly harass with astonishing agility. Pursuing Puffins, terns and Kittiwakes, these pirates do not give up until their victim has relinquished its lunch. Sadly, like many other seabirds, these skuas are in serious decline. Arctic Skuas are the fastest declining seabird in the UK and are on the Birds of Conservation Concern Red List. Scientists from BTO have been working to better understand the movements of these global wanderers to identify the continued threats the birds face. By fitting miniature long-term tracking devices to nesting skuas in northern Scotland, Norway, the Faroes and Svalbard, the researchers were able to determine the various routes the skuas took during both spring and autumn migrations. The findings revealed that although the skuas largely nested and wintered in widely separate places, many of the birds headed for, and spent at least some time in, the same specific areas, resting and refuelling while they were travelling between their breeding and wintering grounds. These remote areas of ocean attract migrant seabirds of several species thanks to the rich sources of food found there. These mid-sea service stations provide a convenient stop-off point for tired and hungry avian travellers, as well as other marine wildlife such as whales and dolphins, from all points of the compass. Individual skuas are very site-faithful; year after year they return to the same nesting sites. Similarly, individuals also return to the same far-flung locations to spend consecutive winters. Despite skuas from various nesting areas meeting up at these Atlantic ‘hot spots’ the birds each go off in their own direction, rather than follow the crowd. This means that a bird which nested in the Arctic Circle may spend the non-breeding season off the coast of South America while its partner heads to the shores of South Africa. The following spring, both birds will head back north, once again mixing with other skuas at a mid-ocean meeting point before returning to the same patch of tundra to nest on as they did the previous year. While some of these ‘hot spots’ have Marine Protected Area (MPA) status, other areas are not currently designated and could be worthy of further investigation. Nina O’Hanlon, Senior Research Ecologist at BTO, said, “By identifying the various routes and stopping off points these wide-ranging seabirds use we can start to identify threats they may encounter along the way and further safeguard these areas. By revealing how extensively skuas mix during migration we can also now better understand how their experiences during this period can impact the fate of multiple breeding populations.” Read a summary of the scientific paper This research was fully funded through the generosity of private donors and the full paper can be read here: www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v730/p113-129/

The British Trust for Ornithology and British Birds are delighted to announce the winner of the award for Best Bird Book of the Year 2023.