SBS News

News and updates about SongBird Survival

01/07/21 - 100 Club Winner!

01/07/21 - 100 Club Winner!

Congratulations to SBS member Mr A with winning ticket number 24 in the July draw!

Tickets for our 100-club are just £12 per year and enter you into our monthly draw with prizes starting from £140 each month, doubling to £280 in December

So far over £10,000 has been won by SBS supporters!

Our 100 club scheme has helped to raise over £50,000 for our research programme. Thank you!

22/06/21 - What3Birds Book Competition winners!

22/06/21 - What3Birds Book Competition winners!

We had a fantastic response to our recent book competition! The prizes, 12 hardback copies of author Charlie Corbett's new book, '12 Birds To Save Your Life' will soon be winging their way to the 12 following lucky winners!

Cherrilyn Caine
Dawn Harper
Joseph Arwen-Langham
Catherine Hitchens
Sue Breslin
Vicki Bannister
Derek Clark
Sally Moon
Inga Taylor
Laura Rice
Christopher Blackburn
Theresa Fordham-Smith

Congratulations to the winners and thank you all for your entries!

21/06/21 - SBS what3birds? Photography Competition opens

21/06/21 - SBS what3birds? Photography Competition opens

“Let’s Fill the Sky with Birdsong and Photographers!”
Zooming in on British Songbirds: FUJIFILM partners with SongBird Survival charity to find the next ‘Great British Bird Photographer’!

● Open to children, young people, amateur + professional photographers
● Star Prize: a Fujifilm Camera + Lenses worth £2,000
● Impressive panel of judges will decide who wins…

The contest encourages the public to capture images of beautiful, yet, at-risk, British songbirds to help raise awareness of the 50% decline in UK songbirds in 50 years.

The aim is for participants to learn which species are going missing from their region via special maps which are detailed on the website of the charity’s new campaign, What3Birds?. Its CEO, Susan Morgan, explains, “We encourage people of all ages, both urban and rural, to get outdoors and appreciate exquisite birdsong whilst they snap away using their phone-camera or professional kit. The competition is open to people of ALL abilities because all of us can learn the value of these precious species, many of which are now at risk from extinction. Anyone can win, and entering will help keep our dawn chorus alive!”

The public can enter one photo into up to 5 categories:-
1. Best Female Bird
2. Best Male Bird
3. Best New Act (Fledgling Bird)
4. Best Bird in Flight
5. Children’s entry (up to / including age 12)

Any entry that features one of the at-risk what3birds? species will be entered for an additional award. These include Greenfinch, Curlew, Lapwing, Skylark, Reed bunting, Swift, Yellowhammer, Starling, Cuckoo, Willow warbler, Meadow pipit, Turtle dove, Mistle thrush, House martin and House sparrow.

Kent based wildlife photographer, Tony Putman, A.K.A. ‘Putman & Robin’ notes, “I'm a passionate wildlife photographer. I like to spend as much time as I can in the environment of the animal to get to know and understand their behaviour, as well as photographing them. I believe it's a very healthy, healing experience to be out with nature: it can lift your mood on the darkest days, and it's even better to be able to frame it and take it home with you.”

Nick Shoolingin-Jordan, whose latest projects include filming the Humans episode of Sir David Attenborough’s Perfect Planet, notes, “Getting close to nature is one of the most important ways to appreciate the wonder of the living world to the max. Through stills and moving imagery, it allow us to do this in an emotionally powerful way. I’m super excited to see the images people enter, and the new talent out there!”

The star cast of judges will favour entrants that capture on film the most at-risk species of songbirds in their region - detailed below. The competition closes on 8th August, and on World Photography Day (August 19th) the winners will be announced. The star prize is a camera and lenses package worth £2,000: the FUJIFILM X-S10 camera with FUJINON XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR and XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR lenses.

Find out more and enter at:

01/05/2021 - NEW SBS Partner Copdock Mill

01/05/2021 - NEW SBS Partner Copdock Mill

We are delighted to announce our new partner Copdock Mill Wholesale, who are supporting us with a generous £25,000 over the next 2 years. Their new Wild Bird Suet range, from their brand Copdock Mill, will proudly display our logo to help raise awareness and vital funds!

The new collection includes a great array of products to choose from, including high energy, protein-rich Suet Balls with Peanut Butter, Suet Pellets containing 15% more suet than other standard pellets, and calcium-rich Suet Cakes with a very high (40%) suet content. All are made from 100% Natural Ingredients, using 100% Pure Human-Grade Beef Suet.

The full range will be on sale in Copdock Mill's retail outlets; Gladwells Pet & Country Stores, towards the end of May, do look out for them and give them a try! Later in the year you will also spot more Copdock Mill products bearing the SBS logo including a wild bird seed range!

You can find your nearest Gladwells Pet & Country store here:

26/04/21 - what3birds?

26/04/21 - what3birds?

SongBird Survival charity launches ‘what3birds?’campaign for International Dawn Chorus Day (2nd May):
The Public are Challenged to do 3 Things to Help Prevent Britain’s most threatened Songbirds from going extinct:-

1. Spot 3 birds (or more) in your region
2. Plot these sightings on the dedicated campaign map
3. Share these sightings, discover 3 birds at-risk birds in your region, and how to help

Lockdown, plus, environmental concerns have led to ever greater interest in UK wildlife and biodiversity, as shown by the fact that this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch saw twice as many members of the British public get involved. This is of no surprise, given that 4 out of 5 Brits say birdsong makes them happier, and 72% say it makes them less stressed. Yet, how many people know which 3 songbird species are the most threatened in their region, or how to help keep their exquisite songs alive?

Today, the independent charity, SongBird Survival, launches a new campaign, what3birds? to encourage the UK public of all ages (rural and urban) to ‘spot and plot’ three species of birds they can see, but also learn about the 3 species at risk from extinction in their region. Susan Morgan, CEO of the charity explains, “Our what3birds? campaign is focussed on education, but its ultimate goal is to keep a rich and diverse dawn chorus alive. Few people realise that UK songbirds have fallen 50% in just two generations - 50 years! Yet the public can help stem this tide of extinction by finding out more, taking simple steps to support local songbirds, and putting pressure on policy makers to make songbird survival a priority.”

The 50% decline refers to all songbird species: some species have declined by up to 90%, whilst others have increased. The aim is to boost biodiversity. However, as Birdwatch results showed, the goldfinch and collared dove (which had done well in recent years) had declined year on year, and only a few species - robins, blackbirds, carrion crows and song thrush - increased.

THE NATIONAL STATISTICS VIA THE B.T.O.
The most at-risk species include the following, whose populations fell from 1995-2018 by:-
North East: Swift -72% | Greenfinch -63% | Yellowhammer -63%
North West: Swift - 74% | Greenfinch -59% |Yellowhammer -46%
Yorkshire: Greenfinch -64% |Starling -63% | Cuckoo -62%
East Midlands: Cuckoo -83% | Willow Warbler -57% | Meadow Pipit -54%
West Midlands: Cuckoo -78% | Starling -70% | Greenfinch -52%
South East: Turtle Dove -96% | Willow Warbler -81% | House Martin -56%
South West: Cuckoo -83% | Starling - 71% | Mistle Thrush -57%
London: House Sparrow -67% | Starling -63% | Mistle Thrush -59%
East Anglia: Turtle Dove -95%|Willow Warbler -81%|Meadow Pipit -61%
Wales: Swift -72%|Greenfinch -71%|Starling -65%
Northern Ireland: Greenfinch -82%|Skylark -28%|Reed Bunting -28%
Scotland: Greenfinch -67% |Curlew by 59% |Lapwing -56%

An online map has been designed by the charity so that members of the public can plot the birds they’ve spotted in their region, and learn about the most at-risk species there. Fast-growing location technology company, what3words, is being used for the campaign: it has divided the world into a grid of 3m squares, and labelled each one with three unique words - a ‘what3words address’. The map thus enables the public to easily plot exactly where the birds are seen, without having to use complex systems like coordinates.

Georgina Bradley, Manager of SongBird Survival, regularly spots song thrushes, green woodpeckers and cuckoos at the what3words location, ‘///enclosing.example.brightly’, in Norfolk. In her words, “A combination of factors has led to the halving of UK songbirds in just two generations: Habitat loss, lack of food, predation and invasion by non-native species are all to blame. Education is everything when it comes to conservation, so what3birds? will inform people which species are at risk in their region, and how to help. We hope the campaign stokes curiosity and unites us all as bird lovers of Britain.”

Giles Rhys Jones, CMO at what3words, says, “We are delighted to support SongBird Survival’s what3birds? campaign. Bird-watching is a brilliant use case for our technology, as people can discover and share the three words for places that are often difficult to describe - with great hgp[;4accuracy.’

How can the public get involved in what3birds?
1. Spot 3 (or more) types of bird you’ve seen using the bird identification tool here: www.what3birds.com/spot
2. Plot your sightings on the What3Birds? website (using your what3words location) here: www.what3birds.com/plot
3. Share with your friends & family the birds you’ve seen, plus the at-risk species. Tell them, write to them, or share this info via social media by using the what3words location and the hashtag #what3birds?

How to discover your what3words location:
Option 1: Use the online map at what3words.com: open what3words.com in your browser and click the search bar. Enter a street address or place name and select the correct result. Zoom in, switch to satellite mode and drag the map to select the exact square you want. The what3words address for the selected square will be displayed in the red bar.
Option 2: Use the what3words app: https://what3words.com/how-to-use-the-what3words-app/?#find

Privacy Notice: Home sightings are safe to share with the charity. They will be entered into its anonymous database, but NO names or personal details will be recorded on the online ‘plot’ map, or shared with any person or organisation. To protect user privacy, please don’t share what3words addresses from a home or garden on social media. Instead, it is recommended users share their ‘spots’ when in a park, field or public space instead.

What else can the public do to help to help save our songbirds?
1. Clean your feeders and birdbaths regularly to stop the spread of disease
2. Delay hedge cutting until after the nesting period (September), as it disturbs songbirds
3. Plant insect-attracting plants, seeding plants and native plants so that native wildlife flourishes
4. Avoid chemical pesticide or herbicides, as they can be DEADLY to songbirds
5. Do NOT feed birds bread, milk, desiccated coconut or any salty foods
6. Inspire others to take action: send an inspirational image of an at-risk songbird species in their region
7. Become a member of SongBird Survival, donate or fundraise - e.g. go on a sponsored cycle ride
8. Find out more about the top quality scientific research that SongBird Survival funds

Find out more and Spot, Plot, Share at what3birds.com

19/04/21 - CJS feature SBS

16/04/21 - SBS discussed in the House of Lords

16/04/21 - SBS discussed in the House of Lords

The Earl of Caithness represented animal lovers on the House of Lords on 15th and 16th April in discussions about animal welfare.
He said: “My Lords, does the Minister agree that it is actually up to the owners of animals to behave better towards them, which would be the best way to go forward, and that those who do not look after animals should be prohibited from owning them? Has my noble friend seen the SongBird Survival research into how cat owners can improve the mental and physical well-being of their cats, as well as reducing the number of wild birds that cats take each year, which is many millions?
SongBird Survival has done a huge amount of research with Exeter University into how cats behave; owners could do a lot to prevent the destruction of songbirds and the way cats behave by simple measures, using a little common sense and some education.”
Lord Goldsmith the Minister of state for Defra said: “I thank my noble friend Lord Caithness for raising the SongBird Survival project and the research it has done into declining songbird populations. I will bring that work to the attention of my officials so that they can consider whether it can inform our work on animal welfare.”
SBS looks forward to helping the Government bring new evidence to help improve the lives of cats, their owners and all our wildlife.

28/03/21 - SBS in the news

11/02/21 - NEW Research published!

11/02/21 - NEW Research published!

Cat ownership in the UK has increased year on year in past decades, with 10 million1 feline friends now owned in the UK1. At the same time, wildlife populations have fallen, especially songbirds, which have declined by 50% in 50 years2, partly because cats kill millions of them each year. However, good news has emerged via new research from the University of Exeter demonstrating a ‘win-win’ solution to reduce hunting by cats without restricting their behaviour. What is more, the solution is fun for both cat and owner.

Click the link to find out more

21/01/2020 - New CEO for SBS

21/01/2020 - New CEO for SBS

SongBird Survival appoints Susan Morgan as CEO,
bringing Fundraising and Charity Leadership expertise

“There is great scope for developing membership, support and income for SongBird Survival so we can achieve our ultimate aim: seeing a balanced and healthy songbird population restored in the UK.” – Susan Morgan

21st January [LONDON] Independent UK charity, SongBird Survival, which turns 21 this year, has appointed Susan Morgan as its new Chief Executive Officer. Susan has a wealth of experience from over 25 years of working in the charity sector, including management and leadership roles at charities including British Red Cross and Tony Elischer Foundation.

Colin Strang Steel, Chair of the charity notes, “We are delighted to have Susan on board. She brings to us a commercial approach accompanied by an ability to manage all aspects of running a charity like SongBird Survival: fundraising, leadership development, public relations, volunteering and running events. 2020 was a very tough year for all charities, particularly nature-focussed ones, so we are even more excited about plans being made for 2021 and beyond.”

Susan, who lives near York, will bring a broad range of experience in managing, organising and planning at charities to SongBird Survival. In her words, “I am very excited to be working in the nature and conservation world, which is a new field for me, but one I am passionate about. SongBird Survival has a clear vision and goal. This is a critical moment in the development of the charity, with great scope for developing membership, support and income so that we can achieve our ultimate aim: seeing a balanced and healthy songbird population restored in the UK.”

Susan’s love of the natural world and of science led her to study Earth Sciences at Oxford University. Since returning to her home county of Yorkshire twelve years ago, her love of conservation and ornithology has grown, with much of her free time being spent in coastal or woodland locations. She previously worked as an Associate Consultant for Think Consulting Solutions Ltd. More recently, she was responsible for setting up and leading Tony Elischer Foundation, a charity which provides mentoring support and guidance to professional fundraisers in the UK and around the world, helping to develop the next generation of fundraising leaders. She is also a Trustee of the Psoriasis Association, where her role has been focused on fundraising and reviewing membership.

16/12/20 - New Research paper Published!

10/12/2020 - New Partnership!

10/12/2020 - New Partnership!

SBS is proud to announce a brand new partnership with Fat Birds - giant bird seed cakes made on the farm in the Schottish Borders:

At Fat Birds feed we like to be different, We- Adam, James senior and James junior are great friends and have been for years. We came together to combine our ingenuity and our passion for wildlife and conservation, to create our feed press and our unique feed product.
We took into consideration the real needs of our song birds- Carbohydrates to keep warm, fat for energy and protein to grow and maintain condition and as songbirds are naturally insect and seed eaters, We created something with more seed and less fat. We call them ‘Giant seed cakes' compressed with our 20-tonne press, we squeeze ground maize, wild bird mixed seed and sustainably sourced palm fat into pillar shaped seed cakes. Not only is this a great way to get more feed into the feeder (750g) but it also makes it a lot easier for our customers to fill their feeders, it’s also a great way to pack everything a bird needs into one feed. As we grow, we will develop variations of our seed cakes to cater for different species of bird, we are already working on Niger seed cakes, sunflower heart cakes and rape seed cakes.
As we are passionate about our birds and want to see all species thrive, we have decided to donate 4p for every cake sold to the Song bird survival trust, to support them with their mission- to find the truths as to why some of our song bird species are on the decline and what we can do as a nation to reduce the declining numbers. We would like to thank you all for supporting us and for this opportunity to contribute to such an important cause.

Adam Girdwood.
Founder and director of Fat Birds Feed

Click here to buy yours today:

09/11/20 - New General Licences Issued

02/10/20 - The Impact of Predation on Songbirds

07/09/20 - SBS in the Papers!

07/09/20 - SBS in the Papers!

Our wonderful project with the University of Exeter has been highlighted in over 90 publications worldwide.

Both our brilliant researchers at the University and SBS staff and Trustees have been interviewed on TV and Radio.

It has been wonderful to gain such coverage and we are so pleased this has been possible with the help of all our members and other supporters. Thank you.

03/09/20 - What kind of Cat Owner are You?

04/08/20 - Pesticides and songbirds - New Paper

01/08/20 - SBS Office Changes

01/08/20 - SBS Office Changes

To help conserve funds through this troubled time, we have come to the difficult decision to close up our physical office in Diss.

George, Ali, Lisa and Barbara are all working from home, with the fantastic support of our Trustee team, and we have come up with new and innovative ways to work and stay in touch with our supporters!

There is a small lag with our telephone technology and our 01379 number is currently down until our tech catches up - but this should be actioned in the next couple of days.

You can still contact us by post to our PO Box address and of course, by email to: dawn-chorus@songbird-survival.org.uk or using our contact form.

Watch this space for further developments!

UPDATE - our new telephone system is up and running! Sincere apologies if you have called and did not get through, but we should be firing on all cylinders again now!

04/05/2020 - No hope for waders without predator control

17/03/20 - AGM Postponed

17/03/20 - AGM Postponed

SongBird Survival's Annual General Meeting, due to be held at the Oxford and Cambridge Club, Pall Mall, London on Tuesday 24th March 2020 at 12.30pm, has been postponed.

This decision is in direct response to the increase in the spread of Coronavirus across the UK and, we believe, in the best interests of our Members, Staff and Trustees.

The AGM will be held later in the year and we will let everyone know the details as soon a new date has been confirmed.

13/02/20 - General Licence Update February 2020

13/02/20 - General Licence Update February 2020

Six general licences reissued for the control of wild birds
Licences reissued on a temporary basis ahead of new licences coming into force on 1 August 2020
Defra has today (Wednesday 12 February) announced that six general licences for the control of wild birds will be reissued on a temporary basis ahead of new licences coming into force on 1 August 2020.

The current licences GL26, GL28, GL31, GL34, GL35 and GL36 will be reissued from 1 March to 31 July. No action is required by licence users, beyond the ongoing requirement to act in accordance with the licence conditions.

Defra announced a longer-term review of general licensing in June 2019 which has made significant progress. An online survey to gather key information from stakeholders closed on 5 December 2019, receiving over 4,400 responses from organisations, licence users and other stakeholders. A series of consultation workshops with stakeholders have also been held.

The reissue of licences is necessary to complete the required analysis of evidence, both from scientific sources and from the online survey, and to hold further stakeholder workshops so that longer-term licensing arrangements are informed by the best available evidence. As part of the process, Defra will also consider Natural England’s statutory advice.

Defra intends to publish new licences in early July to allow user groups to become acquainted with the changes before they officially come into force on 1 August.

05/02/20 – SBS Saving more trees!

05/02/20 – SBS Saving more trees!

SBS and the World Land Trust work together with our partners at Barnwell Print to make the world a better place for wildlife
Since 2016, all of our Dawn Chorus Magazines, Sales Catalogues, leaflets and other printing has saved 2,830kg of carbon dioxide
This enables the World Land Trust to save 1,368m2 of critically threatened tropical forest

HOW DOES CARBON BALANCED CONTRIBUTE TO CONSERVATION?

Terrestrial habitats, such as forests, grasslands and wet peatlands, contain large volumes of carbon in their biomass and soils. However, these habitats are being destroyed or degraded at an unprecedented rate, releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere and contributing to between 10 and 20 per cent of global GHG emissions.

The Carbon Balanced programme offsets emissions by protecting threatened habitats that would otherwise have been lost, avoiding the release of stored carbon. This also enables the regeneration of degraded habitats, which gradually re-absorb atmospheric CO2. In a warmer climate, it is predicted that tropical ecosystems will be able to store less carbon than they do now, so urgent action is required.

Find out more about the World Land Trust carbon balancing scheme here:

23/01/20 – SBS in Countrylife

23/01/20 – SBS in Countrylife

Your Charity featured in this week's Country Life magazine

Tom Streeter, SBS Chairman had a chat with Kate Green about SBS and why we do what we do.

I'm no ornithologist, but I've done just about everything else in the British Countryside. I adore my SBS role now and hope we can deliver and make a difference. I felt before that we were slightly treading water, although we had a lot of knowledge, and we are a very open and honest charity that's not afraid of the uncomfortable truths if they save songbirds.

My 10 year old daughter said "Daddy, you've got to save songbirds!" so that swung it

Fostering enthusiasm for birdwatching in primary schools is one of SBS's priorities. "If you can engage five, six, seven year olds with feeding birds, it will stay with them for life," maintains Mr Streeter.

Someone asked "Why do we need songbirds and the dawn chorus?" and my daughter answered "It's Nature's Voice" - If there's an audible noise, then all is well. If it's not there, something is wrong.

Tom cites as a hindrance to biodiversity recovery the stand-o between some farmers and landowners with wildlife bodies and 'silly things happening', including the hanging of dead crows on BBC presenter Chris Packham's gate after Natural England's General License fiasco last year. "The polarisation that has taken o is causing stagnation", he observes. "Let's deal with the facts. We should all be working together, even if we're in different coloured shirts."

Read the full 6-page spread, including more of Tom's amazing photography in your Country Life magazine (January 22, 2020 issue)

21/12/20 – National Robin Day Raffle Winners!

21/12/20 – National Robin Day Raffle Winners!

Who won our Ruby Robin Christmas Raffle?

Thank you to all of you who purchased Ruby Robin Raffle tickets this year - we sold over 2,000 tickets!

Along with your generous donations and robin items sold in our shop we have already reached £6,000 for 2019 can you help us smash through this on Saturday 21st December?

Please do share this page and any emails or posts you see social media related to #NationalRobinDay so we can get even more people involved!

We need your help to make National Robin Day, the 21st December, to be the biggest, birdiest, robiniest day ever!

2019 winners:

1st Prize: £1,000 cash - Mr Nick Suffolk

2nd Prize: Digital Camera - Mr Robin Dewell

3rd Prize: Bird Bath - Mrs Frances Read

4th Prize: 3 x Bird Photographer of the year books Susanne Poulton, Chritopher Blackburn and Sarah Potter

Runner up prizes: £20 gift vouchers: Colin & Diane Robertson and Helen Mulligan

12/07/20 - Defra Responds to Call For Evidence

12/07/20 - Defra Responds to Call For Evidence

Update on General Licences

The outcome from the call for evidence made by Defra on the use of general licences for the management of certain wild birds was published on 11th July 2019.

In May SongBird Survival submitted our evidence, on behalf of all our members and supporters.

Defra has now responded to this call. Details of this outcome:

Defra received over 4,000 responses to the call for evidence. 36 local and national organisations responded, including conservation, animal welfare, pest control, farming, game keeping and land management organisations.

The Secretary of State has decided to issue time-limited licences based on:

Information gathered through this call for evidence.

Other relevant evidence, including statutory advice from Natural England.

Defra will lead a further review later this year, working closely with Natural England. This will:

Include an initial public consultation which we intend to launch in the summer.

Give users an opportunity to engage once again by submitting any further evidence they would like considered.

Full details of Defra's statement can be found below

05/06/20 – Update on General Licences

05/06/20 – Update on General Licences

Three new General Licences announced by Defra

After Defra called for evidence last month to better understand the way forward that they should take and they received over 4,000 submissions, including from SBS on your behalf, they have announced interim licencing valid until 29 February 2020.

Defra continues to lead a review for the long-term future of licencing but, for now, if you need to control certain species of wild birds to conserve wild birds and flora or fauna then you can use the new GL34 licence - click below to read the full details and any restrictions that may be in place for your location.

10/06/20 - SBS Research in the News

30/05/20 - New SBS Research Paper Published

30/05/20 - New SBS Research Paper Published

Some songbird nests are especially vulnerable to magpie predation.

A new study has revealed a range of factors that cause a variation in predation by magpies on farmland songbirds.

Researchers from University of Exeter and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) placed 460 artificial nests on typical farmland in Warwickshire to study predator behaviour.

They found magpies were the most common predators, accounting for 70% of visits where the predator could be identified.

Nests inside magpie breeding territories were predated by magpies more often, especially late in the season when magpies themselves had young in their nests.

Intriguingly, some specific nest locations were repeatedly highly predated.

The findings come amid controversy over the rules governing which birds can be killed to protect wild birds, crops and livestock.

“This works suggests that, although most nest predators are magpies, not all magpies are nest predators,” said Dr Joah Madden, of the University of Exeter.

“The future challenge is to identify these problem individuals and accurately remove them.”

Dr Rufus Sage, who is head of lowland gamebird research at GWCT, said: “These results suggest that not all magpies are equally predatory.

“Predator removal could be more effective if management is targeted towards particularly predatory individuals, or locations at which predation rates are high.”

Tom Streeter, chairman of environmental charity SongBird Survival which commissioned the research, said: “We are delighted to have sponsored this important and, as it transpires, exceptionally timely research.

“SongBird Survival is very concerned about the significant adverse impacts that overabundant corvids can have on songbird populations, and this study helps further our understanding of the threat that some particularly predatory individuals pose.

“Moreover, the findings will help inform, better, the forthcoming wider reviews of general and class licensing due to be completed this year by both Natural England and Scottish National Heritage.”

Take a look at the paper, published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research, is entitled: “Predation of artificial nests in UK farmland by magpies (Pica pica): interacting environmental, temporal, and social factors influence a nest’s risk.”

15/05/20 – SBS Give Evidence to Defra

15/05/20 – SBS Give Evidence to Defra

General Licences, Call for Evidence - SongBird Survival response

On 4 May 2019, Defra called for evidence relating to stakeholders’ views on the alternatives to killing or taking a specific bird species for:

Conserving flora and fauna.

Preserving public health or safety.

Preventing serious damage or disease (serious damage relates to serious damage to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables, fruit, growing timber fisheries or inland waters) In particular, what are these alternatives and to which bird species do they relate? In your experience or evidence, how effective and practicable are they?

and sought:

Experience and evidence of any benefits that were delivered by the 3 revoked licences, and:

Experience or evidence of any problems with or caused by the revocation of the 3 revoked general licences.

Our response is based upon views expressed by members, donors and other interested supporters who have contacted the Charity to date. Sadly, there has been insufficient time to consult, fully, all stakeholders due to the extremely short timeframe imposed. Our response covers General Licence (GL) 06, for the purpose of conservation of wild birds and flora and fauna, as it relates to the conservation of ‘song and other small birds’, generally understood to encompass most birds of the order Passeriformes (that make up over half of bird species globally), excluding corvids (carrion crow, magpie, jackdaw and jay) that prey upon the others of the order, and the invasive, non-native, ring-necked parakeet that excludes native song and other small birds from supplementary garden feeding stations, and may outcompete them for scarce cavity nesting sites (Peck et al, 2014), (Strubbe & Matthysen, 2007 & 2009).

Read our full response here:

08/01/20 – Cat Research Project – New Paper Published

08/01/20 – Cat Research Project – New Paper Published

SBS Cat Research Project publishes first research paper

Scientific studies suggest that both domestic and feral cats are having a serious effect on wildlife in countries across the world.
With a cat population of over 10 million in the UK, understanding the impact that cats have on our songbird populations is a crucial area of research.
In March 2017 SongBird Survival partnered with the University of Exeter to fund research into understanding cat owners as well as cats, with the aim of identifying potential solutions to cat predation of wildlife.

We know that securing the ongoing interest and input of cat owners is central to the success of this research. We are working directly with cat owners and other interested groups to assess cat behaviour. Through this joint research, we aim to move beyond the contention and social conflict which has plagued the issue of cat predation of wildlife and achieve real results for songbirds.

The project is now in its second year of funding a PhD student and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Exeter, and the first paper, published today in the prestigious British Ecological Society's journal 'People and Nature' shows the findings from the first round of social science survey focus groups and studies.