Climate change 'has affected a third of UK bird species'

2 September 2019

Cuckoo numbers are in steep decline across almost half of England because of climate change but buzzards are up, according to a new study.

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has looked at which species are most hit and helped by climate change.

Researchers found weather changes had a long-term effect on about a third of the 68 species studied.

BTO science director James Pearce-Higgins said there were "winners and losers".

Thirteen species have seen a greater than 10% rise in population numbers while three have suffered big drops.

Which birds are suffering and why?

Migratory birds are the biggest losers.

In five of the 11 regions studied, cuckoos, which have seen a population drop of more than 80% in the past 30 years, were the bird with the biggest fall in numbers.

The swift and turtle dove, which are also migratory, had the biggest drops in two areas each.

Cuckoos, which are on the RSPB's red list for conservation, are in the UK between April and June for breeding season.

The birds' journey back to Africa takes them via Italy or Spain, the latter having been hit by droughts brought on by warmer weather, the BTO said.

Continued

Put eggs all in one basket, or spread them around? Birds know best

Date:  February 27, 2019

Source:  Princeton University

In the tropical jungle of Central America where predators abound, a species of cuckoo has found safety in numbers by building communal nests guarded by two or three breeding pairs.

Why then do these agreeable avians sometimes ditch the collaborative lifestyle and instead deposit eggs into nests outside the communal group, acting like social parasites, in the hopes that other females will raise the chicks as their own?

In a paper published online in the journal Nature, Princeton researchers show that the cuckoos, known as greater anis (Crotophaga major), act collectively for the most part but can become social parasites after their communal nest is destroyed. They start the breeding season placing all their eggs in one basket, but if predators intervene, the birds switch to a strategy of spreading the eggs around in other nests.

Read on

Nature lover captures rare moment of cuckoo flying with egg in its beak

THIS is the rare moment that a cuckoo has been caught flying through the air with an egg resting in its beak.

Stephen Davies caught the unusual moment when he stopped in the countryside near the Ochil Hills.

He got his camera out when he spotted a cuckoo flying from the nest and could not believe his eyes when he noticed a full egg resting gently in between its beak.

The 48-year-old from Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, did not realise how unusual the picture was until he checked his camera at home.

The phone shop manager said: "Two cuckoos actually flew in front of me. I stopped and got the camera out of the car and captured the female cuckoo carrying the egg.

"It looks like she found a nest then removed the eggs to lay her own eggs.

"I didn't know I had actually captured it. So when I got home I noticed it in my pictures, I knew it was something I've never seen before.

"I knew it was a female cuckoo when I saw the colouring of the bird.

Read more and see photos 

Biologists uncover a possible connection between three birds’ evolution

Published on February 4, 2018  by Lima Charlie

Brood parasitism has fascinated many scientists since the behavior was identified. Popular human affection for the devoir of child rearing has induced a particularly strong “hathos” for the practice in other species. Brood parasitism– when animals depend on other organisms to raise their young– is most notably an instance of convergent evolution in birds.

The cuckoo, cowbird, and honeyguides each lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, who are thus bamboozled into feeding and caring for their nestlings. The fact that this hijacked parenting operation occurred independently in each species yields an opportunity for biologists to study the convergent evolution phenomenon. Convergent evolution is the process by which species of different lineages separately develop similar traits. The teleonomy (the apparent purposes of natural structures) of such evolutionary changes are of great interest to scientists who want to put together a full story of evolution’s history.

Continued  

Cuckoo sheds new light on the scientific mystery of bird migration

Date: November 20, 2015

Source: Faculty of Science - University of Copenhagen

The cuckoo is not only capable of finding its way from unknown locations; it does this through a highly complex individual decision making process. Such skills have never before been documented in migratory birds. A new study shows that navigation in migratory birds is even more complex than previously assumed. The Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate at the University of Copenhagen led the study with the use of miniature satellite tracking technology.

In an experiment, 11 adult cuckoos were relocated from Denmark to Spain just before their winter migration to Africa was about to begin. When the birds were released more than 1,000 km away from their well-known migration route, they navigated towards the different stopover areas used along their normal route.

"The release site was completely unknown to the cuckoos, yet they had no trouble finding their way back to their normal migratory route. Interestingly though, they aimed for different targets on the route, which we do not consider random. This individual and flexible choice in navigation indicates an ability to assess advantages and disadvantages of different routes, probably based on their health, age, experience or even personality traits. They evaluate their own condition and adjust their reaction to it, displaying a complicated behavior which we were able to document for the first time in migratory birds," says postdoc Mikkel Willemoes from the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate at the University of Copenhagen.

Previously, in 2014, the Center also led a study mapping the complete cuckoo migration route from Denmark to Africa. Here they discovered that during autumn the birds make stopovers in different areas across Europe and Africa. It was these areas the displaced cuckoos aimed for: Of the 11 birds, one flew to Poland, one to the Balkans, one to Chad and three of them flew to the Democratic Republic of Congo. From there, they followed their familiar migration route. The last five birds lost their transmitting signal.

Continued …

A Coo for Belfast pupils as they win bid to name bird on satellite-tracked epic flight

By Linda Stewart

We've avidly followed the adventures of Chris the Cuckoo - and now it's the turn of Coo.

The male cuckoo, which is currently making its way south through Africa, has been named by pupils at a school in the Belfast Hills.

The P1 and P2 pupils at Ballymacward Primary School beat off competition from schools across the UK to name a cuckoo fitted with a satellite tag by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

They are now following his intrepid voyage via an online tracker, which reveals how Coo is making his way from the UK to his overwintering site in the Congo rainforest.

BTO says it is trying to discover why the UK has lost over two-thirds of its breeding cuckoos during the last 25 years by gleaning information on the routes they take to Africa.

Until recently scientists had no idea where cuckoos went in winter, with only one record dating back to the 1930s.

Continued ...

FKNK: BirdLife’s possession of shot cuckoo may have been “breaking the law”

BY GOZO NEWS · APRIL 26, 2015

The hunters’ federation FKNK has said in a statement today that BirdLife “may have been breaking the law” when it was in possession of a protected bird on Thursday.

The FKNK was referring the BirdLife Malta’s statement on Thursday regarding a shot protected cuckoo, that was found by a dog walker at Mizieb.

The Federation’s statement said that it hoped in the future BirdLife would be more correct in its actions, since if it is found that a protected bird has been illegally shot, it increases the chances of the perpetrators being caught and prosecuted.

It is also possible that the injured cuckoo could have been saved and rehabilitated, the FKNK said.

The FKNK also said that is has made a request to the police to keep it informed of the outcome of the investigations.

Source

Hunter fined €2,500 for shooting protected bird, licence suspended, gun confiscated

Hunters condemn incident

A hunter was this afternoon fined €2,500 after admitting to having shot dead a protected Cuckoo in Manikata this morning.

Stefan Micallef, 43, of Naxxar, who was taken to court this afternoon, also had his licence suspended for three-and-a-half years. His shotgun and ammunition were confiscated.

Mr Micallef had told the police he shot the bird - a cuckoo - by mistake, thinking it was a Turtle Dove. The applicable fine for shooting this type of bird was between €500 and €2,500.

The police earlier confirmed that they had seized a cuckoo that was illegally shot in the Manikata area and a man was arrested.

In a statement in the afternoon, Birdlife said its volunteers filmed the cuckoo falling from the sky after a shot was heard. A second shot was then heard from the area where the bird fell, and a hunter was observed searching the area and hiding the bird.

The police were called to the site and seized the dead bird from where it had been hidden under a bush. Birdlife said it handed over all video evidence which should help to identify the hunter to the police.

Mr Micallef had posted a message on Facebook following the referendum result last Sunday, thanking everyone who voted yes. He committed himself to doing everything he could “to make sure the law is observed”.

One of the replies to his post said: “You can show us some gratitude by respecting the law and behaving yourselves. A lot of people voted against spring hunting and a lot [of] people have their eyes pinned on you guys for any incident that may happen.”

In a statement, the government said this was a sign that enforcement was working "effectively and immediately". It said that the police were acting on a report from Birdlife.

"Whoever is caught breaking the law will find no protection and will have to face fines which were among the stiffest in Europe for their criminal acts," it said.

The government also said that the government's warning was clear "if there are flagrant illegalities, the season will be closed".

The statement came after several people tweeted about the incident using the hashtag #josephzommkelmtek .

The hunters organisation St Hubert Hunters also issued a statement to "unreservedly" condemn the incident. It called for the appropriate penalties to be applied.

"We emphatically state that given the mandate of the majority in a referendum that ultimately permits spring hunting we will not tolerate any abuse.

"We appeal to all hunters and members of the public to report any illegal hunting activity to the police on telephone number 119," the association said.

Continued ...

Chris the Cuckoo clocks up 60,000 miles

Since being fitted with a satellite tag by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) four years ago, Chris, a Cuckoo named after naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham, has travelled over 60,000 miles – the equivalent of flying twice round the world. And in his journeys he’s taken in 22 different countries!

The UK’s Cuckoo population has dropped by 72 per cent in the last 25 years. In order to find out what’s driving this decline, the BTO fitted an original five Cuckoos with state of the art tags to enable them to follow the birds as they made their way out of Britain to Africa for the winter. The tags were believed to have a lifespan of two or three years.

Of the first five, Chris is the only Cuckoo still transmitting live data, far exceeding the expectations of the scientists. He is currently in the Congo rainforest, having arrived at his favoured winter spot on 25 October.

Dr Chris Hewson, lead scientist on the project at the BTO, says, “Chris the Cuckoo is a real hero of ornithology. The tag he is carrying has helped us to understand the pressures that he and our Cuckoos face on what is a pretty hazardous migration to Africa.

“He has survived sand storms, hail storms, an exceptionally cold, wet summer, predators over the Mediterranean and in the Congo rainforest, and has crossed the Sahara Desert a whopping seven times since we started following him. We have everything crossed in the hope that he makes it back next spring.”

Chris Packham says, “Chris deserves a medal for what he has given to the understanding of bird migration; he is a truly remarkable bird.

Continued ...

Rare sighting of cuckoo in Erith Marshes

11:28am Tuesday 27th May 2014 in NewsBy Heloise Wood

Despite the grim weather, it appears Spring has definitely sprung.

A cuckoo has been snapped in Erith, bringing joy to local bird-lovers, as the species is declining rapidly.

Experts have blamed a reduction in the large caterpillars which the cuckoos feast on with a loss of habitat in their African wintering grounds.

Twitter user @MikeFRobinson, who records wildlife sightings across south east London, posted the snap of the beautiful bird today (May 27) after originally seeing it on Friday.

He said: “The cuckoo, first seen on 23 May, still on the Erith Marshes four days later.”

The adult birds normally arrive in late March or April and depart in July or August and the younger birds leave a month or so later.

The Erith Marshes - near the Crossness Sewage Treatment Works - contain a huge and varied wildlife including the threatened water vole, birds, plants and invertebrates.

Visit rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/c/cuckoo/

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/11237633.Rare_sighting_of_cuckoo_in_Erith_Marshes/

Conservationists in cloud cuckoo land as rare bird sings on Heath for first time in 40 years

by Tom Marshall

Thursday, May 15, 2014 

12:30 PM

Wildlife enthusiasts were in cloud cuckoo land this week as an endangered bird’s distinctive call was heard on Hampstead Heath for the first time in decades.

Excitement swept the Heath’s bird-watching community as the rare sound of a male cuckoo rang out in Kenwood and then by the Mixed Bathing Pond on Tuesday.

Heath staff raced to the pond to listen out for the unique cry as word of its presence spread.

Ecologists believe it is the first time a cuckoo has been heard there for more than 40 years – and they say the wait for another one could be just as long.

Meg Game, senior ecologist at the Heath, said: “I have been living around here since 1981 and I have never heard one on the Heath. It was astonishing and perfect timing because I was with a group of bird watchers, who I lead on a walk every Tuesday.

“We just could not believe our ears, we were elated.”

Continued

Grasslands are crucial for cuckoos

12:29pm Thursday 1st May 2014 in OutdoorsBy Colin Williams

If we want to hear this iconic bird's special song, we must take care of our meadows, stresses the BBOWT's Colin Williams

The cuckoo, a much-vaunted herald of summer, is calling loudly across Oxfordshire’s meadows this year. But how many of these rare birds are here, and for how many more years will we hear their distinctive song?

In the last 25 years the UK has lost more than half of breeding cuckoos, and they are now on the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern.

This is due to many factors including the long journey from Central Africa where they spend the winter in the Congo Basin and West Africa. Their flight path crosses not only the inhospitable Sahara Desert, but many countries where shooting birds is common. High numbers will be killed before they reach Europe.

Continued

THREATENED BIRD SPECIES: RSPB and Exmoor National Park Authority want to hear of any cuckoo calls

By Western Daily Press | Posted: April 03, 2014

Anyone hearing the evocative call of the cuckoo on Exmoor should let Exmoor National Park Authority and the RSPB know. Helen Booker from the RSPB said: "We are very concerned about the cuckoo; it is a bird that is under threat. Exmoor would appear to be an important habitat for them and we would really value any records of them." Simply go on line to the Wildwatch website, or ring the National Park Centre in Lynmouth on 01598 752509. Traditionally good places to hear cuckoos on Exmoor include Croydon Hill, Alcombe Common, Ley Hill and Webber's Post.

http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Listen-rare-sound-cuckoo/story-20903485-detail/story.html#ixzz2y86K0Z1i

TRACKING: Lost cuckoo makes dramatic reappearance

March 2014: One of the migrating cuckoos being tracked by the British Trust for Ornithology on its migration to and from sub-Saharan Africa has been located after a three-month silence. Tor, the cuckoo that was fitted with its tracking device in Dartmoor National Park last May had ‘gone dark’ and was feared dead.

Tor’s satellite signal, that transmits for 10 hours every couple of days to reveal the location of the bird and, occasionally, its body heat measurement, was last received on 4 December, at which time he was on the Gabon/Congo border. It is not unknown for the transmitters’ batteries to degrade or for the birds to be under dense cover for extended periods which prevents the devices’ solar panels from charging them up, but usually there is only a period of a week or two before they spring into life again.

In this case, Tor stayed under the radar for an unprecedented amount of time until he resurfaced in early March in the Central African Republic.

The BTO has been satellite-tracking cuckoos on their migration since 2011 in order to find out their important stop-over sites and wintering destinations to and from Africa and so discover why we have lost more than half of our breeding cuckoos in the past 25 years. Information from the project will help to form conservation strategies and initiate action.

To find out more about the project and follow the progress of this year’s cuckoos as they return to the UK, visit www.bto.org/science/migration/tracking-studies/cuckoo-tracking

You can also sponsor a cuckoo and help finance the research at www.bto.org/science/migration/tracking-studies/cuckoo-tracking/sponsor-cuckoo

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/cuckoo-reappears-626.html