Let's celebrate natures song

‘Hearing the Dawn Chorus brings Stress Levels down’ So… How can people help halt the 50% decline in UK Songbird Numbers in 50 years?

• 4 out of 5 Brits say listening to the sound of birds singing makes them happier and 72% of Brits say birdsong makes them less stressed
• BUT over the past 50 years, the number of songbirds fell >50%*
• What can cat owners do to reduce the ~55m birds killed each year by cats in the UK?

2nd April [LONDON] Whilst the human population is locked up indoors to fight the spread of Coronavirus, nature is acting as a welcome salve, and Spring marches on. People could do with more relaxation, less stress, and a bit of a deep breath. A recent article in The Guardian highlights that, ‘Time spent in nature is linked to lower stress… [due to] the activation of neural pathways associated with calm, and decreased levels of anxiety and depression.’ 

Recent research shows that four out of five Brits say listening to the sound of birds singing makes them happier, while another 72% explained it made them feel less stressed. Yet, as Tom Streeter, Chairman of the charity, SongBird Survival, notes, “What few people in the UK know is that over the last 50 years, the numbers of these reassuring-sounding birds have fallen by more than 50%*.” 

This decline may help explain emerging research showing 62% of adults have only infrequently heard birdsong or haven’t heard it at all  in the last 12 months. So, right now, what better project to take your mind off COVID-19 than to help our songbirds and other small birds?

How can cat owners help to stop the falling numbers of songbirds in the UK?

SongBird Survival is the only UK charity dedicated to reversing the alarming population decline of song and other small birds through independent scientific research. Research projects include a study by scientists at the University of Exeter which is looking into the issue of cat predation in order to explore how to reduce/minimise the adverse impact cats have on native wildlife. Whilst the study is being completed, Keith Cowieson, the charity’s Director, recommends 3 immediate tips for cat owners, especially at this time of year when songbirds are breeding, and have fledglings in the nest:

1. 1. Fit your cat with a colourful collar cover. These are more effective than bells, and less restrictive for your cat than more cumbersome ‘cat bibs’, and function as a colourful warning to small birds that a predator is approaching. (The BirdsBeSafe collar is one option)
2. 2. Keep your cat indoors at night during bird breeding season (1st April - 31st July). Young, naive out-of-the-nest fledglings are very vulnerable during their first few days away from the nest. If you can’t keep your cat indoors all night, crucial times are the hour around dawn and dusk, when birds are most vulnerable.
3. 3. Another option, if you have an outdoor space, is enclosing a section with a ‘Catio’ or a cat fence. These may an option during the COVID-19 ‘lockdown’ period when many are turning to DIY projects. Not only will SongBirds benefit, the owner will get to spend more time with their pet, too. 

What are the most relaxing SongBirds to listen to?

Kate Humble recommends, in Country Life, that some of the most relaxing birds to listen to include: Blackbirds, Robins, Blue tits, Mallards, The wood pigeons, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Nightingales, Wrens.

How can the public get involved in supporting the charity’s mission and vision?

There are various ways in which the public can get involved:

• Become a member
• Make a donation
• Fundraise - e.g. by hosting an event
• Buy from its on-line shop
• Recycle with one of its partners
• Inspire others to take individual action, e.g. send an inspirational image of a songbird spotted recently
• Provide birds with food/water/shelter – via tips from the charity
• Learn from its info on how to spot a songbird
• Spread word of mouth awareness into its studies ^‍

^{*The 50% decline refers to overall numbers of all species. Some species have declined by up to 90%, others have increased in number.}‍

ABOUT SONGBIRD SURVIVAL

‍SongBird Survival is the only charity in the UK solely dedicated to halting the alarming decline of song and other small birds – birds, such as corn bunting, willow tit, tree & house sparrow. It does so by funding independent scientific studies that aim to shed light on the reasons why around 50% of our songbirds have disappeared over the past 50 years. These studies will help determine how land can be managed more sustainably, with a view to restoring a rich, balanced and resilient population of birds similar to that enjoyed in the 1970s to help keep a healthy dawn chorus alive.‍

‍Website: https://www.songbird-survival.org.uk‍

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongBirdSOS/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SongBirdSOS

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SongBirdSurvival/

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

For all enquiries, including interview requests, case studies & images please contact:

Christabel or Hannah at Curious PR Christabel@CuriousPR.com or  Hannah@CuriousPR.com  

T +44 (0)20 3397 9111 M +44 (0)7747 794306 or M +44(0)7963 933007

Instagram CuriousPR | Twitter @Curious_PR | Website  www.CuriousPR.com