By
Victoria Gill
Science reporter, BBC News
4
November 2015
Ornithologists
are asking the public to help survey garden goldfinches, in an effort to work
out if feeding is driving up the birds' population
While
many of our familiar songbird species are in decline, one avian character in
particular has been spotted increasingly frequently in UK gardens - the goldfinch.
Now,
the British Trust for Ornithology wants volunteers to help work out
what has boosted the bird's numbers.
The
organisation wants to know what goldfinches feed on in our gardens.
The
aim is to work out whether supplementary feeding is helping the birds to
thrive.
The
increase in the UK goldfinch population has been dramatic. According to the
BTO, it increased by about 80% between 2002 and 2012.
Ups
and downs
British
songbirds increasing in population include: blue tit; great tit; coal tit; long
tailed tit; chaffinch; great spotted woodpecker; wren; collared dove; wood
pigeon; robin; blackcap and chiffchaff.
Species
in decline include: hawfinch, lesser spotted woodpecker, greenfinch, bullfinch,
skylark, yellowhammer, linnet, corn bunting, song thrush, meadow pipit and
dunnock.
Source:
RSPB
And
while there are many factors and landscape changes that affect the habitat and
food available to Britain's birds, the supplementary food that people put in
their gardens may be having a significant impact.
