The Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – Janet Finch-Saunders MS – has today (29 January) encouraged residents across Wales to spend an hour this weekend recording the birds visiting their gardens, as part of the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch.
The annual birdwatching event is taking place this weekend, between 29 - 31 January. It's the world's largest bird survey and has run every year since 1979. A new survey, conducted for the charity by YouGov, has revealed that watching birds and listening to birdsong have helped people during the pandemic. Nearly two thirds of those polled feel that watching birds and hearing their song added to their enjoyment of life, especially in the last 12 months.
Encouraging participation in the event, Janet said:
“2021 marks the 42nd annual RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch - an essential opportunity that allows the charity to keep tabs on the population of British birds. Sadly, since the Big Garden Birdwatch started in 1979, numbers of many species have been on the decline.
“By recording the birds that visit your garden or local green space, across just a one hour period, the Big Garden Birdwatch can provide conservationists with clues as to which species are struggling, and why. It also helps us to track which birds are doing particularly well.
“One of the real delights of the past few months has been watching the robins and wagtails gorging on feed near a table by my window as I work. They're often joined by the likes of thrushes and chaffinches, which is probably more of a comment on how well stocked my feeders remain!
"Having spotted a red kite in the sky above too, you begin to appreciate these magnificent creatures of the natural world. Like many people around the UK, this connection with British wildlife has helped to keep me grounded in an otherwise very challenging year.
“Beyond the mental health benefits of interacting with our wildlife, and with 51% of respondents to the RSPB’s YouGov poll saying that the pandemic had made them more aware of the nature around them, this annual Bird survey is also a fantastic opportunity to ensure that we are all better considering our impact on our feather friends, as we look ahead to a green Covid recovery.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- Janet recommends the visiting the RSPB feeding advice to find out how best to help our feathered friends. You can find the advice, which varies according to the season, by clicking here.
- The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch was one of the first surveys to identify the decline of song thrushes in gardens. This species was a firm fixture in the top 10 in 1979. But by 2019, those numbers had declined by 76% – coming in at number 20.
- For instructions on how to take part, including printable bird ID sheets and an handy guide, please click here.
- The top 5 birds in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2020 (Species – average per garden (% of gardens species recorded in 2020)) House sparrow – 4.7 (64); Starling – 3.0 (38); Blue tit – 2.9 (80); Woodpigeon – 2.3 (76); Blackbird – 2.1 (85).