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  • Editor's Choice
  • New Gear & Tech
    • New compact binoculars from SWAROVSKI OPTIK released for those looking for a lightweight travel companion
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    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK offers new accessories for customers with the launch of their gear collection
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  • Photography & Video
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Proof that feeding garden birds has led to population increases in over 30 species since the 1970's and is generally money well spent


21 May 2019
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The latest research from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), published today in the journal Nature Communications, reveals the considerable consequences of an innocuous national pastime. Britain’s growing love affair with feeding the birds has significantly altered the composition of our garden bird communities over the past 40 years, helping the populations of some species grow in number and increasing the variety of birds visiting feeders.

Many people in Britain feed birds in their gardens but, until now, the wider effects of this activity have been largely unknown. As a nation we spend an estimated £200-300 million on bird feeding products each year. The sheer amount of food provided could potentially sustain up to 196 million birds – more than the combined total population of many common garden species.

New research from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), published today in the journal Nature Communications, reveals the considerable consequences of an innocuous national pastime. Britain’s growing love affair with feeding the birds has significantly altered the composition of our garden bird communities over the past 40 years, helping the populations of some species grow in number and increasing the variety of birds visiting feeders.

This study provides strong evidence that garden bird feeding has supported population growth in some bird species, and has increased the diversity of species visiting our feeders. 
The authors examined bird food adverts to show how the number and variety of products available has increased since the early-1970s. They used this information alongside results from the BTO’s long-running Garden Bird Feeding Survey (GBFS), through which dedicated volunteers have collected the most comprehensive long-term dataset on bird feeding in the world.

In the 1970s, garden bird feeders were dominated by only two species, House Sparrow and Starling. Today, a much broader range of species is commonly seen taking advantage of the growing variety of supplementary foods on offer. Changes were particularly marked for Goldfinch and Woodpigeon; fewer than 20% of GBFS participants reported these species on their feeders in 1973, but this number has jumped to more than 80% since. 

Lead author Dr Kate Plummer, Research Ecologist at BTO explains, “We now know that garden bird feeding is one of many important environmental factors affecting British bird numbers. Regular visits to garden feeders in urban areas appear to have led to population growth across more than 30 different bird species, while there has been no change in the average population sizes of birds that don’t visit feeders. It is fascinating to discover how this seemingly small-scale hobby is in fact restructuring bird communities across large spatial scales.”

Although this research certainly accentuates the positives of garden bird feeding at a time when so many headlines report species decline, further work is needed, as there can also be negative impacts, such as disease transmission at feeders. The study underlines that the pleasure we take in feeding the birds visiting our gardens can have a significant effect on our garden wildlife, and that is certainly food for thought.

Helpful garden bird tips >> Five essential things to look for when choosing a nest box for outside your home or garden​

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  • Editor's Choice
  • New Gear & Tech
    • New compact binoculars from SWAROVSKI OPTIK released for those looking for a lightweight travel companion
    • Learn more about Digiscoping and Phonescoping wildlife
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK offers new accessories for customers with the launch of their gear collection
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK announces largest objective module ever made for wildlife watchers
    • OXAZ unveils OVERCAP - the World's first rigid, all-weather removable hood for wildlife watchers
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK announces new NL Pure binoculars - bringing new levels of performance and comfort for wildlife watchers
    • Experience wildlife in fabulous detail with your whole family using these Kowa garden sets
    • The lowdown on Kowa's BDII-HD wide angle binoculars
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK changes the game of animal identification with release of their digital guide and mammals ID app
    • Canon launches two new practical pairs of binoculars including the world's lightest binoculars with image stabilisation technology
    • SWAROVSKI OPTIK have released an updated version of their popular digiscoping adapter for iPhone 8 owners
  • News & Features
    • In Your Garden >
      • Walk for wildlife this autumn!
      • Are bats spreading the coronavirus? This and other similar questions debunked by industry expert
      • 7 simple tips on how to improve your gardens for hedgehogs safety and wellbeing
      • New ‘wild’ home learning hub helps parents be fun science teachers
      • Online nature activities to help you get through Covid-19 lockdown
      • Birds of a feather get hot in this weather
      • 30 Days Wild returns for a fabulous fifth year
      • Proof that feeding garden birds has led to population increases in over 30 species since the 1970's
      • Five of our favourite springtime wildlife sights and sounds
      • Five essential things to look for when choosing a nest box for outside your home or garden
      • Top tips to help your garden birds survive winter
    • Nature Reserves >
      • Good news! The Wildlife Trusts are to receive nearly £2 million to restore land for nature and tackle climate change
      • WWT to re-open 6 wetland centres in England after Covid-19 crisis
      • Start 2019 in style with a trip to one of these famous five nature reserves
      • The annual ‘swanfall’ at WWT Slimbridge has started with a flurry of Bewick’s swans arriving for the winter
      • Where can you watch owls in the UK? Plan your trip with Wildlife24/7's six best places to watch owls this winter
      • A starling spectacular!
      • Eels at WWT reserve being microchipped to track movements of a species on the brink
      • Endangered beetle hides out at WWT Welney
    • Bugs
    • Birds >
      • >> Birding247.co.uk
      • BTO ask British public to participate in a national study of Tawny Owls and their calling behaviour this autumn and winter
      • The prestigious Bird Photographer of the Year (BPOTY) competition has announced the 2018 winners
    • Mammals >
      • One of Britain's rarest mammals returns to Forest of Dean
    • Marine >
      • Easing of Covid restrictions in 2020 produced once in a lifetime wildlife watching opportunities for UK's population
      • Get ready to dive into National Marine Week 2019!
      • Shoresearch: new project launches to help count marine life on UK shores
    • Travel >
      • Safari
      • Islands
      • Oceans
      • Europe
      • South America
      • UK & Ireland
      • Survival & Awareness
  • Conservation
    • HS2 - new report details vast scale of destruction and impact to nature
    • New film from Sir David Attenborough and The Wildlife Trusts calls for nature’s recovery
    • UK's wildlife continues to decline according to new state of nature report
    • UK Government considering badger cull in new areas
    • Wetnose Day Announce Amanda Holden as the Animal Loving Celebrity for Wetnose Day 2019!
    • Stars speak up for wildlife in new film trailer hitting cinemas this weekend
    • Swifts are in need of our help as numbers halve in just 20 years
    • The Wildlife Trusts condemn HS2 phase 2B draft environmental statement - impact on wild plants and animals will be devastating
    • It could become legal to kill wild barnacle geese in the UK in the near future, if a proposal by Norway to the EU is adopted
    • Major project to safeguard Orkney’s internationally important native wildlife wins National Lottery and LIFE support
    • Kate Humble becomes new President of WWT
  • Photography & Video
    • Equipment Reviews >
      • Gitzo's new 2 way fluid tripod head for wildlife observers using medium-sized scopes and camera lenses up to 200mm
    • Technique & Insights >
      • Chris Fallows: Ocean, Earth and Air - in his own words
    • Contests >
      • The Wall Of Fame 2019 Wildlife Photography Competition - Winner
      • Wall OF Fame 2019 Powered by SWAROVSKI OPTIK
      • Celebrate the magic of the UK’s wildlife with the new Back from the Brink Film and Photography Competition