Warblers and turtle doves join RSPB list of birds at risk of dying out

Bad weather and loss of habitat blamed as more breeding native species are at risk of extinction

Jamie Doward and Atoosa Gitiforoz

The Observer, Saturday 30 August 2014 21.21 BST

Any true love who wants to give their significant other two turtle doves to celebrate the second day of the 12 Days of Christmas may soon be looking for an alternative gift.

In a move that will dismay ornithologists and poets alike, the bird, immortalised in verse by Shakespeare and Wordsworth, could shortly find itself on the near 100-strong list of the rarest birds in the UK as compiled by the RSPB's rare breeding birds panel – a sign that its numbers are plummeting by such a degree that there are fears it could become extinct in the UK within a decade.

The list compiled by the panel, now in its 40th year, is based on sightings by dedicated bird watchers who provide the society with a wealth of information that is used to track the fortunes of different species over time and is the envy of wildlife organisations around the world.

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‘Angry birds’ spotted in gardens

Feisty winter visitors arriving in greater numbers than ever before

January 2013. Thousands of Blackcaps, migrant warblers from central Europe, are ruffling feathers in British and Irish gardens. Latest sightings gathered through the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Garden Blackcap Survey are exploring the behaviour of these increasingly spotted ‘angry birds'.

This January, householders are helping the BTO to find out about real ‘angry birds' in gardens - Blackcaps. Incoming reports, submitted through the charity's Garden Blackcap Survey, show how this species is often a volatile guest, seeing off blue tits, Goldfinches and other similar-sized birds from garden feeding stations.

What birds will face down the blackcaps?
So far, the only birds to have weathered the frosty reception that is dished out by Blackcaps with much success have been Robins and House sparrows. Robins are known for their feistiness and so it is unsurprising that they are unwilling to give an inch without a fight. House Sparrows, on the other hand, flock together and are generally faithful to a local patch, and so are well placed to out-compete this new kid on the block.

Blackcaps (green) leave Britain in the autumn to winter around the Mediterranean, returning in spring (cream). A few birds (orange) pass through on migration. Some birds (yellow) now winter in Britain and Ireland - these are the ones we are looking to study through the Garden Blackcap Survey.

Large increase in blackcap numbers
Behind these fascinating observations is important science. Food provided in British and Irish gardens is thought to be altering the migratory habits of Blackcaps that breed in central Europe. Normally these birds would spend the winter around the Mediterranean but our garden offerings, coupled with our warming winter climate, are enabling an alternative migration route to our shores to grow in strength. Over the past few decades, numbers coming to feeders have increased by several hundred per cent.

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/blackcap013.html