With this rise in activity comes a growing need for responsible management. Recreational pursuits such as hiking, running, cycling, dog walking, and horse riding, while enjoyable, can unintentionally disturb local wildlife, including songbirds. Increased disturbance can alter their behaviour and reduce breeding success.
The University of Exeter is leading a research project to explore how recreational activities affect songbirds in under-studied woodland areas. Funded by SongBird Survival, the project is being carried out by PhD student Gavin Kellerman, under the supervision of Dr. Sarah Crowley and Professor Stuart Bearhop.
Blending ecology with social science, the research aims to map when and where recreational activities occur, while also exploring the attitudes, behaviours, and priorities of those who use these spaces. Through experimental changes to site design, access, and communication strategies, the project seeks to identify practical and socially acceptable ways to reduce human disturbance and protect local wildlife - particularly vulnerable songbird populations.
Project elements:
We hope that by better understanding how disturbances affect wildlife, we can continue to enjoy green spaces while also protecting our songbirds for future generations.
Sir David Attenborough said on birds:
"Now, we have taken over the earth and the sea and the sky, but with skill and care and knowledge, we can ensure that there is still a place on Earth for birds in all their beauty and variety. If we want to. And surely, we should."
Sarah gained her PhD from the University of Exeter in 2017, and worked as a postdoctoral researcher on the cats and their owners research project. Now she has progressed to become a senior lecturer at the University and supervises multiple students, including Gavin on the disturbance PhD project.
Gavin started his PhD research this autumn on recreational disturbances and songbirds, supervised by Dr. Sarah Crowley and Dr. Stuart Bearhop at the University of Exeter. The project aims to address the impacts of disturbances in woodland and shrubland habitats.
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Comber, C. A., & Dayer, A. A. (2022). Understanding attitudes and norms of dog walkers to reduce disturbances to shorebirds. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 27(3), 236-250.
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Larson, C. L., Reed, S. E., Merenlender, A. M., & Crooks, K. R. (2016). Effects of recreation on animals revealed as widespread through a global systematic review. PloS One, 11(12), e0167259.
Mallord, J. W., Dolman, P. M., Brown, A. F., & Sutherland, W. J. (2007). Linking recreational disturbance to population size in a ground‐nesting passerine. Journal of Applied Ecology, 44, 185-195.
Marzano, M., & Dandy, N. (2012). Recreationist behaviour in forests and the disturbance of wildlife. Biodiversity and Conservation, 21(11), 2967-2986.
Murison, G., Bullock, J. M., Underhill-Day, J., Langston, R., Brown, A. F., & Sutherland, W. J. (2007). Habitat type determines the effects of disturbance on the breeding productivity of the Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata. Ibis, 149, 16-26.
Steven, R., Pickering, C., & Castley, J. G. (2011). A review of the impacts of nature-based recreation on birds. Journal of environmental management, 92(10), 2287-2294.
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