Mia Rodriguez
Member
Hello, from a newbie. How has birding changed for you over the years? Have you noticed any changes in the bird populations in your area?
-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Changes in bird populations? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Mia Rodriguez
- Start date
Hello and welcome to the forum! I'm relatively new to birding myself, so no obvious changes noticed by me. Have you checked out Trends maps - eBird Science (for example: Iberian Green Woodpecker - Trends map - eBird Status and Trends, Iberian Gray Shrike - Trends map - eBird Status and Trends, Iberian Magpie - Trends map - eBird Status and Trends).
Hi Mia and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. Not much change at the moment, except I know hear Chiffchaff all summer... at one time they were completely absent from this are. Common Magpies are also spreading across Scotland.
I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.
I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.
Hi Mia,
Welcome.
I've only been birding for about 40 yrs but have seen big changes in that time. Big declines in many finches (particularly Greenfinch and Bullfinch). Growth in raptors - in my childhood it was pretty much restricted to Kestrel and Sparrowhawk, now Buzzards and Red Kites are regularly seen. Little Egrets were a rare vagrant rather than a common breeding bird. Flocks of Lapwings used to be much larger. Some gains and some losses. Chiffchaff now over winter in reasonable numbers where once they'd be a rare stayer.
Welcome.
I've only been birding for about 40 yrs but have seen big changes in that time. Big declines in many finches (particularly Greenfinch and Bullfinch). Growth in raptors - in my childhood it was pretty much restricted to Kestrel and Sparrowhawk, now Buzzards and Red Kites are regularly seen. Little Egrets were a rare vagrant rather than a common breeding bird. Flocks of Lapwings used to be much larger. Some gains and some losses. Chiffchaff now over winter in reasonable numbers where once they'd be a rare stayer.
Hi Mia and welcome to BirdForum.
Rich
Rich
Hello Mia and welcome to the forum, enjoy and all the best.
40+ years
Up: Magpie, buzzard, red kite, osprey, little egret, Mediterranean gull, goldfinch
Down: Lapwing, curlew, grey partridge, yellowhammer, house sparrow, tree sparrow, starling, greenfinch, kestrel
I think there are more chiffchaffs and blackcaps over the last 2 or 3 years and maybe less willow warblers.
Cuckoos seem to have become a bit more common lately too but that's just an impression I get.
Kingfisher are more regular now too. (Not had a real hard winter for a few years)
Up: Magpie, buzzard, red kite, osprey, little egret, Mediterranean gull, goldfinch
Down: Lapwing, curlew, grey partridge, yellowhammer, house sparrow, tree sparrow, starling, greenfinch, kestrel
I think there are more chiffchaffs and blackcaps over the last 2 or 3 years and maybe less willow warblers.
Cuckoos seem to have become a bit more common lately too but that's just an impression I get.
Kingfisher are more regular now too. (Not had a real hard winter for a few years)
Hi there Mia and a warm welcome to you !!
At one point over the years I had a dozen feeders up which greatly improved the bird population in my backyard. But the squirrels kind of ruined that for me as they were destroying feeders to get the seed out of them. When they destroyed a supposedly squirrel free feeder that I spent almost $50. US dollars on, I kind of got fed up and put less feeders out which cut the amount of birds visiting my yard. I did learn that mixing hot red pepper in with the seed helped a great deal in removing the squirrels from the feeders with no harm to the birds. Right now my bird population seems to be doing okay. We'll wait and see
At one point over the years I had a dozen feeders up which greatly improved the bird population in my backyard. But the squirrels kind of ruined that for me as they were destroying feeders to get the seed out of them. When they destroyed a supposedly squirrel free feeder that I spent almost $50. US dollars on, I kind of got fed up and put less feeders out which cut the amount of birds visiting my yard. I did learn that mixing hot red pepper in with the seed helped a great deal in removing the squirrels from the feeders with no harm to the birds. Right now my bird population seems to be doing okay. We'll wait and see
Mia Rodriguez
Member
I have also noticed big declines in many finches lately
Mia Rodriguez
Member
Thanks a lot Rich
Mia Rodriguez
Member
I don't think it's just the impression you have, the cuckoos have really become a bit more common
Hello and welcome to the forum, enjoy and all the best.
StephenHampshire
Well-known member
There does seem to be a lot of variation. Thirty years ago I heard and saw cuckoos regularly, now I am lucky to hear one...last year I tracked one down, but none so far in 2023. Conversely, in my patch of Hampshire we seem to be bucking the Yellowhammer trend locally as they are very abundant! Sparrows and starlings go up and down, magpies and wppd pigeons every where this year!
Yes I think regional variations can play a big part in perceptions. Yellowhammer seem to be recovering on my patch, after several years of steep decline. No real signs of the reported slow recovery of Greenfinch yet - sadly remaining a noteworthy sighting after that terrible crash.
