People across Oxford are being asked to spend one hour this weekend recording the birds they see in their back garden or local park for the world’s largest wildlife survey.
The Big Garden Birdwatch, organized by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), is taking place on Saturday, January 28 and Sunday, January 29. The survey helps identify breeding trends, how different species of birds have fared over the cold winter months and trends in bird migration.
Last year, a record-breaking 600,009 people across the country took part in the survey. Sarah Houghton, Birdwatch project manager, said: “Taking part in Big Garden Birdwatch not only helps the RSPB track the ups and down of garden birds, but it gives participants the perfect excuse to sit down with a cup of tea and enjoy the wildlife that they share their outside space with. You’ll be a part of the biggest garden bird event in the world and you won’t even have to leave the warmth of your armchair.”
The Big Garden Birdwatch surveys show how well UK birds have fared during the previous breeding season and winter. Since the survey began in 1979, it has shown that the number of woodpigeons in our gardens is now eight times what it was 30 years ago. There are also more than three times as many collared doves now.
Although they are still the most commonly-spotted birds, the number of house sparrows and starlings has gone down over the years. Last year’s survey showed that sightings of goldcrests, the UK’s smallest bird, had doubled. Sarah Houghton said: “It’s important that we keep a close eye on how our birds are faring, like the house sparrow for example. With so many people stepping up and taking part in Big Garden Birdwatch, if a pattern emerges, we take it seriously. Half a million people can’t be wrong and that’s why the survey is so important.
“There’s nothing else like it on this scale, and as well as getting hundreds of thousands of people enjoying wildlife, it actually helps protect nature by showing the RSPB where we need to focus our efforts.”
Participants need a pen and a printout of the RSPB bird-spotting sheet to take part. Even if participants fail to spot any birds, the RSPB urges participants to submit their forms as the data is still valuable. For more information, visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch
