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tit © Darin Smith |
How do I take part? Submit
your results online
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If you live in Avon and enjoy birds in your garden, we want to hear from you. We've just launched the eighth annual Bristol Bird Watch - one of the most important garden bird surveys in the country - and we're urging local people to take part.
Nearly two thousand people in Bristol and the Avon area took part in last year's survey, many of whom have been completing the survey right from the start in 2000. Participants are asked to record the different types of birds they see in their garden over the winter months, from October to March. This year Avon Wildlife Trust is looking for even more households in the city to get involved to help it get an up to date picture of local bird populations.
"It doesn’t matter how big your garden is or whether you live in the countryside or the city centre," says Matt Hamilton, co-ordinator of the project, “But we are particularly keen to hear from people in the following postcodes: BA1, BA2, BA3, BS1, BS2, BS23, BS24, BS25, BS29, BS32, BS34, BS35, BS39 and BS41, as we do not have as many recorders in these areas. Taking part is easy and can be lots of fun, especially if you do it with family or friends” The results of the project are really important as they help us track how bird populations are changing, identify which species are vulnerable and highlight anomalies we wouldn't otherwise be aware of.
The results of last year’s Bird Watch showed sparrow numbers dropped sharply, reversing the positive trend of the last few years. Starling numbers continued to fall and are now 42% lower than when Bird Watch began. But it was not all bad news - a total of 57 species were seen in gardens and a probable 75 pairs of breeding tawny owls were identified (this is a superb result for a species that is notoriously hard to monitor). However some well-known species suffered a drop in numbers. Needless to say a sharp eye will be kept on next year’s results to see how these birds are doing, and the more people taking part the more information we will have to help save them!
Bird Watch does make a difference!
Bird watch has shown that:
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Our garden bird populations are changing over time. Some species are becoming more common and others are becoming rarer.
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Bristol's gardens are hugely important, helping many birds to survive the winter month.
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At least 100,000 birds are helped by winter feeding in the Bristol area each year.
The Trust has free Bristol Bird Watch packs including a step by step guide on how to take part. These can be requested from the Trust's offices by phoning 0117 917 7270 or you can download your own pack (see above panel), or submit your results online here.
Bristol Bird Watch Partners
Bristol Bird Watch is run by Avon Wildlife Trust in partnership with Bristol City Council, The Avon Biodiversity Partnership, Bristol Naturalists' Society, Bristol Ornithological Club, and Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre.