Effect of Climate Change on UK bird migration

Good afternoon, First I would just like to say thank you in advance for any help you can offer me! So I am at Hartpury College studying Animal Science and Welfare, I have an essay to do, and my title is 'The effect of climate change on migratory birds in the UK'. What would be the best way to find the numbers for this? Would they be willing to give numbers of birds that have returned back year after year? Many Thanks Alec
  • Hi Alec

    The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is probably the the premier organisation in this country for compiling statistics about all aspects of birds.

    I found this page which provides links to a series of articles which might provide useful information for your essay.

    www.bto.org/.../climate-change

    Obviously, if you use or quote any of the material in the articles you should acknowledge the source. You could always approach the BTO directly if there is any further information you need.

    I hope this is of some help and good luck with your essay.

  • Hi Tony

    Thank you for the quick reply!

    I will look into the link you posted! I will cite and reference as well as acknowledge them in my essay!!

    Many Thanks

    Alec

  • Hi Alec,   Sounds like a very good choice of topic for your essay and as Tony  says the BTO have lots of information on their website with various articles and I have found they are only too happy to supply further help should you need it.       I was only thinking about the effects of climate change the other day after seeing a rare bird arrive in UK which had made its way to the Wirral (whether by choice due to changing migratory patterns or just blown off course following recent storms)  The bird was a Pallas’s Warbler which I believe hails from Russia where it breeds (southern Siberia) and which normally head off to Asia (China) although some do head to Western Europe for winter months Oct-Apr.      With changing weather patterns due to global warming it is fascinating to see the changes in birds migratory routes.   I wish you the best of luck with your essay

  • Hello everyone,

    Just a quick update! I am now looking into a more scoped species, I have chosen to write about the Bewick Swans at Slimbridge! And how climate change may have affected their flight pattern from North Siberia!

    Using data collected from Slimbridge from the past 5 years or more, and collecting data of my own and then analysing it!

    Cheers

    Alec