Delight at chick success for endangered Pied Flycatchers at Lydford Gorge

They are further thrilled to have discovered that one pair of the birds, who were born in different parts of Devon, have paired up and are now busy raising their

Lewis Clarke

13:17, 20 JUN 2019

Two pairs of rare Pied Flycatchers, which are on the ‘Birds of Conservation Concern’ red list, are successfully breeding at Lydford Gorge in Devon, thanks to work done by rangers at National Trust.

They are further thrilled to have discovered that one pair of the birds, who were born in different parts of Devon, have paired up and are now busy raising their young at Lydford Gorge on Dartmoor.

The Devon pair of birds were ringed in 2014, and the National Trust has been able to discover that the male was born near Widecombe-on-the-Moor and the female hails from South Molton.  As Pied Flycatchers migrate thousands of miles during the winter before returning to the UK to mate in the spring, it’s not known how or when they paired up, however, the Trust is delighted to see these endangered birds doing well after careful work to attract them to the area has worked.

The baby birds will start to be seen taking their first forays outside the nest in June; however keen bird spotters can come and look out for the birds at Lydford Gorge, who are expected to stay there until late August when they fly south again to the African continent.

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Rare birds spotted at Lydford Gorge

Monday, 3 July 2017 

 
A RARE pair of RSPB red-listed pied flycatchers have been spotted by thrilled bird watchers making their home in specially made bird boxes near the bird hide at the National Trust’s Lydford Gorge.

Migrating from sub-Saharan Africa, usually in the Congo basin, the pied flycatchers move to the coast of West Africa in the spring, before returning to the UK. It’s believed the pair has adopted a nest at Lydford due to work done by National Trust rangers to manage the habitat for them.

The birds tend to like mature woodland, similar to that at Lydford Gorge. Trees at the gorge weren’t cut down during the war effort as it was too steep to get the wood out.

National Trust rangers, along with volunteers and schools including Lydford and Lamerton, have built specialised bird boxes with specific sized holes to attract the birds.

Pied flycatchers are red-listed by the RSPB. Working with Lydford Primary School pupils, rangers have been monitoring the bird boxes occupied by these and other species.



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