As we approach Valentine’s Day and the nations’ love birds are busy making amorous plans, the celebrated Saint’s day also marks the start of National Nest Box Week. Mid-February is also when many wild birds start to pair up and seek out suitable sites for the imminent breeding season, so now is a great time to put up new nest boxes, or spruce up your old ones, says the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Our gardens and green spaces provide a perfect home for many of our most familiar and much-loved birds, such as Blue Tit, House Sparrow, Starling and Robin. And while some individuals may be able to find a safe place to nest in planted areas, or around buildings, there is still very much a shortage of desirable nesting spots, particularly in urban and suburban areas. Loss of appropriate habitat, changes in land-use, ‘tidier’ gardens and other factors have impacted negatively on many of the UK’s breeding birds and it is increasingly important that we help provide a haven where our feathered neighbours can raise their broods. By providing nest boxes, we can help many of our garden visitors thrive. There is a staggeringly wide variety of boxes. From Blue Tits to Barn Owls, there are boxes designed to suit a range of different species. Whether you build your nest box or buy one ready-made, consider which birds you hope to attract. Make a note of the birds that you see in your garden to help you determine which species are most likely to nest there. Larger gardens should attract a wider range of birds, while smaller spaces may provide limited, but equally valuable, opportunities. As with our own homes, location is also an all-important feature. Boxes for most common garden birds should be located between 1-3 metres off the ground, away from bird feeders, and where the entrance is sheltered from prevailing wind, rain, and strong sunlight. Another bird that also takes readily to artificial nesting sites, but isn’t really a garden bird, is the Swift. These astonishing aerial acrobats have suffered major population declines in recent decades and many homeowners are now providing special boxes for these dynamic travellers, whose distinctive screaming calls were once a familiar summer sound in our cities and towns. Swifts typically favour older buildings for nesting, where they raise their chicks under the eaves, but modern household improvements and refurbishments have reduced suitable nesting sites. As well as providing an invaluable home for our garden birds and giving householders a rare glimpse into their private lives, nest boxes can also help supply important scientific data. BTO nest monitoring schemes offer a fabulous way for people to monitor the health of our nesting bird populations by sending in their records, contributing vital information to our understanding of birds’ breeding success. To find out more, go to: www.bto.org/nest-monitoring The BTO website also has a dedicated nest box page providing information and advice on the building, buying, and positioning of nest boxes and the different birds that can be attracted. For details visit: www.bto.org/nest-boxes Hazel McCambridge, BTO Nesting Neighbours survey organiser, says, “By putting up a nest box in your garden you are not only providing a place for birds to raise their family, it is an opportunity to deepen your relationship with the wildlife on your doorstep. If you can look inside your nest box or have a camera in the box, you will have the chance to learn about the birds around you and by submitting the details of the nest you can help us understand how habitats and climate change are impacting birds.”

Long-famed for its complex and sweet-toned song, the Nightingale has been a source of inspiration for poets, musicians, and artists for centuries. Sadly, the mellifluous melodies of this secretive singer have become an increasingly scarce component of the English countryside’s soundscape in recent years. Now, following innovative research by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) we have a better understanding of what is driving this inspirational bird’s decline. Placed on the Birds of Conservation Concern’s Red List since 2015, the Robin-sized songster has not only declined in number as a breeding bird in the UK (-90% between 1967 and 2022), but it has also vanished from many of the areas where it was once commonly found. Habitat loss has been a major concern in the UK as the Nightingales, which migrate here from Africa each spring, have suffered from a reduction in suitable breeding sites. Once widespread across much of south and eastern England, the diminutive songbird has lost much of its favoured nesting areas of scrubby woodland through increased development or degradation, partly as a result of an increase in deer populations. But the Nightingale’s misfortune is not solely based on issues occurring in its traditional UK breeding areas. A new study conducted by BTO scientists has discovered, through the deployment of tiny data-gathering tags attached to a number of the birds, that British-breeding Nightingales spend the winter months isolated from other European Nightingales, in a specific, small region in and around The Gambia, West Africa. This means that this already declining population is at greater risk from deteriorating conditions in these winter quarters, through such threats as prolonged drought and loss of habitat. Nightingales that have been tracked nesting elsewhere in Europe, spend their non-breeding season in different, much broader, areas of West Africa, and are therefore less severely impacted overall by highly localised changes. Until now, it was not known that the regional populations of migratory songbirds had such defined connectivity; British breeding Nightingales rarely mix with other European populations while on the wintering grounds. It is hoped that advances in technology, through increasingly small and accurate tracking devices, may allow scientists to discover to what extent this phenomenon is widespread amongst other highly migratory species or restricted to certain species such as Nightingales. Dr Chris Hewson, Senior Research Ecologist at BTO, says, “Understanding how migratory birds are distributed in the non-breeding season in tropical Africa is both challenging and important for understanding their population declines. Through the use of increasingly miniaturised modern technology, we are rapidly gaining understanding which will put us in a much better position to be able to reverse the catastrophic declines of some of our most enigmatic and iconic species. Here, we show that the English Nightingale population has a unique distribution pattern during our winter season, which leaves them vulnerable to both climate and habitat changes in Africa. This helps to explain why the English, but not other European, populations of the Nightingale are currently in decline.” Read the full free-access paper, published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports. Listen to the song of a Nightingale

The UK’s heathlands are incredibly special places. These, and other similar open habitats, support a wide variety of rare plants, insects, birds, and animals. Now, for the first time in two decades, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is asking UK birdwatchers to help survey these extraordinary landscapes. Heathlands are characterised by sparse open vegetation, with low-growing plants such as heather, gorse and bracken, with scattered trees. These and similar habitats, such as clear-cut areas in commercial forests, moorlands, and coastal scrub, will be included in the survey, as they are also home to a similar selection of key species. The main focus of the survey, which is being launched in January 2025, in partnership with the RSPB, and funded by Natural England, is to determine the current status of three scarce birds across the UK and Channel Islands: Woodlark, Nightjar and Dartford Warbler. It will also record a number of other important heathland bird species such as Hobby, Grasshopper Warbler, Cuckoo, Curlew and Stonechat. The previous population estimates made for Woodlark, Nightjar and Dartford Warbler are now almost 20 years old, based on data from surveys undertaken at a time during which all three species had undergone a substantial increase, in both population size and distribution. At that time, both Woodlark and Dartford Warbler were at their most northerly recorded UK breeding ranges, while Nightjar was regaining ground in northern England and even into Scotland. It is hoped that the new survey will indicate how these birds are faring and where we may need to look at habitat protection to safeguard potential future expansion in range and population. Nightjar - a nocturnal bird which migrates to breed in the UK from tropical Africa, the Nightjar’s eerie churring song is a distinctive sound of summer heathlands. Woodlark - less familiar to most people than its relative the Skylark, this delightful songbird prefers lightly wooded heaths and adjacent farmland. Dartford Warbler - these characterful small birds can be found in selected areas in southern and eastern England, southern Wales, and the Channel Islands. All three species are highly reliant on protected sites, including Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs), which can be vulnerable to habitat change and damage, such as that caused by fires and extreme weather events. David Norfolk, Senior Research Officer with BTO, says, “Given the large proportion of Nightjar, Dartford Warbler and Woodlark populations that depend upon protected habitats, it is vital that we have updated population estimates to ensure that these important sites are maintained appropriately and continue to support these rare species.” Andrew Stanbury from the RSPB, said, “The data collected from this survey will be vital to help us work out the latest population estimates for these heathland bird species across the UK as well as identifying the sites most in need of protection in order to give them a safe and secure future.” Hear the sound of a churring Nightjar Hear the sound of a singing Woodlark Hear the sound of a singing Dartford Warbler

In a pioneering new move, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is making decades of breeding bird data freely available to the wider conservation and research community. When it comes to the UK’s birdlife, BTO has been at the forefront of monitoring population trends for almost a century. Thanks to the tireless contributions of thousands of dedicated, active volunteers from across the UK countries, working alongside BTO scientists and partner organisations, we have a sound understanding of how our wild birds are faring in the modern world. Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data are widely used in research and the information has always been available upon request, but now the vast volume of data which includes over seven million records, is to be made freely and openly available. Published in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography, ‘The Breeding Bird Survey of the United Kingdom’ represents one of few structured national recording schemes for birds anywhere in the world which makes the information collected by its volunteers wholly available to anyone who wishes to access it. It is hoped that the significant volume of records will enable researchers, students, ornithologists, and conservation organisations to access the data for use in further work that may ultimately provide better futures for birds and other wildlife. The BBS is a long-running partnership project involving BTO, JNCC, and RSPB. It gathers data from across the UK and provides ornithologists with details that illustrate any changes in numbers, as well as distribution, of more than 100 of the nations’ commoner birds. This information, when combined with its predecessor survey, the Common Birds Census (CBC), also contribute significantly to the annual Wild Bird Indicators, which constitutes part of the UK government’s biodiversity framework. These survey results have highlighted the long-term declines of many of our farmland birds and confirmed more recent declines in our woodland species. BBS data are critical in creating such important measures as Birds of Conservation Concern (highlighted through the Green, Amber, and Red Lists) and help test which agricultural policies are working effectively for birds. Dr. Simon Gillings, BTO’s Principal Data Scientist, says, “To be able to share this vast amount of material to a wider audience is a real step forward. By making these incredible data, gathered by thousands of volunteer birdwatchers, freely available in one place will allow researchers, conservationists and a wide range of other interested stakeholders, to access decades of invaluable information. This will contribute to shaping our understanding, and ultimately the implementation of greater action to help protect our breeding wild birds.” Prof. Richard Gregory, the RSPB’s Head of Monitoring, said, “The UK has some of the best nature monitoring in the world and making this treasure trove of information available to others will help us answer some of the important questions about why our birds are in decline, and most importantly what we can do to reverse this.” Read the published, open access, article

The outstanding contributions of six individuals and one organisation were celebrated at the British Trust for Ornithology’s annual awards ceremony in October. The event at London’s Mall Galleries brought together celebrated scientists, dedicated volunteers and BTO staff. It was co-hosted by the Society of Wildlife Artists (SWLA) Natural Eye Exhibition. The stunning environs of the Society of Wildlife Artists' Natural Eye exhibition at London's Mall Galleries played host to the 2024 Marsh Awards for Ornithology on Thursday 17 October. This annual event recognises outstanding contributions made by both professional and volunteer ornithologists. The awards are presented through a partnership between the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Marsh Charitable Trust. Over 130 invited guests attended the event, which coincided with the opening of the SWLA Natural Eye exhibition, to celebrate the ornithological achievements of the award winners. This year’s BTO Marsh Award for Ornithology went to Dirk Raes. This award recognises ornithologists who are making a significant contribution to the field. Dirk founded and remains the driving force behind the website cr-birding which helps coordinate nearly 7,000 colour ring projects across Europe – something he does entirely in his spare time, and despite not being a bird ringer himself! This year’s BTO Marsh Award for Young Ornithologist was won by Katie Monk. Katie is a real mover and shaker in BTO Youth and indeed other nature conservation organisations. She walked 1,300 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats with Indy Green, to raise money for the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust. The BTO Marsh Award for Local Ornithology is given to a bird club or group for an exceptional activity that advances our knowledge of birds. This year, BTO were delighted to award it to Ken and Linda Smith and Gus Robin, co-ordinators of the wonderful Woodpecker Network, who are doing so much to help understand and conserve the increasingly rare Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Alongside the Marsh Awards for Ornithology, BTO also presented its Dilys Breese Medal, awarded to outstanding communicators who deliver science to new audiences, and the Jubilee Medal, which is awarded to individuals who have shown outstanding and committed devotion to BTO. BTO Dilys Breese Medal was awarded to Megan McCubbin. A well-known zoologist and broadcaster, Megan has given her time to support young bird and nature lovers through her involvement with BTO Youth events and her social media accounts. Her broadcast work on programmes like BBC Springwatch regularly sees her mentioning BTO’s work and she kindly contributed to BTO’s Into the Red publication and associated promotion, again increasing awareness of BTO and our work. The Jubilee Medal went to Penny Williams, who has been a committed BTO Regional Representative for Surrey since 2010. Two medals were also awarded to the following recipients in a small gathering at the BTO Scottish office in Stirling. The Bernard Tucker Medal for outstanding contribution to BTO's scientific work was presented to Mike Bell. Mike has made a valuable contribution to our knowledge of changes in Scotland's bird populations through long-term BTO monitoring and his own studies. The Jubilee Medal for outstanding and commitment to BTO went to Neil Bielby. Neil has been the BTO Regional Representative for Central Region in Scotland since 1995, and is a key BTO surveys organiser. Professor Juliet Vickery, BTO Chief Executive, said, “Each year we are astounded by the sheer dedication, and breadth of skills presented by the award nominees. Choosing winners is always a difficult task, but we were delighted to recognise the extraordinary efforts of all of this year’s winners in helping to conserve birds, while teaching and inspiring others.”