New research led by BTO scientists has examined the effect of food supplies on Oystercatchers in Wales, showing how populations are affected by the availability of prey species, and underlining the importance of alternative foraging areas close by. Oystercatcher numbers are declining in the UK, in line with the trends for wader species globally, and with ever greater anthropogenic changes to wader habitats, it is vital we understand the processes driving population change if we are to take effective conservation action. This study used data from the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) and ringing to assess the effect of Cockle availability on wintering Osytercatcher numbers in south Wales. Cockles are an important prey species for Oystercatchers and other wader species, leading to competition for this food resource with humans, who commercially fish Cockles and other shellfish. Burry Inlet in south Wales formerly had a highly productive Cockle fishery, but in 2004 numbers crashed, with larger, older Cockles especially affected. Smaller Cockles have since gradually become re-established, but larger Cockle stocks have yet to recover. Burry Inlet is also a Special Protection Area for birds. Following the 2004 crash, the number of Oystercatchers recorded during WeBS counts on Burry Inlet fell, but there was an increase in birds counted in the neighbouring Three Rivers Estuary, part of the Carmarthen Bay Special Area of Conservation, suggesting some Oystercatchers simply moved from one site to the other. Data from ringing also showed an apparent reduction in survival of Oystercatchers using Burry Inlet in years of low Cockle biomass. The fact that Oystercatchers were able to move to a nearby site, where Cockle harvesting had been capped due to regulations associated with the area’s protected status, shows the importance of having resilient networks of protected areas. Such networks can buffer fluctuations in the suitability of individual sites to particular species. The study also underlines the importance of long-term monitoring in accurately understanding the effects of incidents such as the Burry Inlet Cockle crash, allowing for optimal management of both protected area networks and fishery practices.

New research from BTO has investigated the ways in which to optimise long-term GPS tagging in large gulls, so that sufficient data are collected while birds' welfare needs are met.

New research involving BTO suggests that the management of protected areas in Europe can aid wintering waterbirds species in shifting their ranges north as the climate warms.

A new collaborative research study involving BTO has used GPS to track the movements of one of Europe’s rarest birds of prey, the Greater Spotted Eagle, shedding light on the pressures this species faces outside of the breeding season. Supporting our colleagues in Ukraine We have been working with Ukrainian and Belarusian colleagues in Polesia since 2019. We are appalled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and stand in full support of those affected by this conflict. Our project partner Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) has been working to get partners and staff in Ukraine to safety, though most remain on-site, providing refugees with resources and supporting the protected areas’ running costs at a time when other funding has been cut off. We hope that the global support of Ukraine will help bring an end to this appalling conflict, and that we will be able to continue to work with our colleagues to learn about and protect the country’s precious habitats and wildlife. If you would like to make a donation, visit the ZFS fundraising appeal.

New research from a collaboration between BTO, Natural England and researchers at the University of Exeter has used GPS-tracking to investigate the movement behaviour of Lesser Black-backed Gulls in response to landfill closures. Gulls were found to increase their foraging effort and switch to alternative habitats following the loss of this important food resource. During the 20th century, gull populations across the globe increased rapidly in response to human activities, with the availability of waste food in landfill sites a key driver of their success. However recently, some gull populations have declined, particularly at formerly large coastal colonies, with the closure of tips likely a contributing factor. Previous gull studies have shown reductions in reproductive performance and changes in diet following landfill closures. However the implications for the birds’ movements have not previously been studied. This research used GPS-tracking data from adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls breeding at two colonies within Special Protection Areas where the species is a designation feature – South Walney, Cumbria and Ribble Marshes, Lancashire – to investigate changes in movement behaviour following the closure of major landfill sites within the birds’ foraging range. In the year after the landfills closed, breeding gulls increased their foraging effort as they had to travel further and for longer on foraging trips. They also switched to alternative foraging habitats. Gulls breeding at South Walney increased their selection of agricultural areas following landfill closures, whilst birds breeding at Ribble Marshes foraged more in nearby towns and cities. Although the long-term consequences of landfill closures for Lesser Black-backed Gulls are unclear, these results highlight how the availability of anthropogenic resources far outside protected areas may influence gull movement behaviour, highlighting the importance of spatial scale when attempting to conserve and manage highly mobile species like gulls. In the short term, gulls responded to landfill closures by switching to forage either in agricultural areas or urban habitats. These habitat switches may alter the location of human-gull conflicts, as foraging gulls in agricultural areas may steal livestock food while those in towns and cities engage in perceived nuisance behaviours such as fouling, littering and food-snatching, potentially requiring management interventions. Finally, this study highlights the value of technology such as GPS-devices as a tool to monitor rapid behavioural responses of birds to future environmental change.