Azara Blog: RSPB claims some garden bird populations have crashed

Date published: 2007/03/26

Fewer songbirds visited UK gardens this winter than last year - with the numbers for some species at a five-year low, a survey for the RSPB suggests.
The number of song thrushes spotted in gardens has fallen 65% in a year, while the number of blackbirds fell by 25%.
The RSPB blamed the mild European winter and a bumper countryside fruit crop, meaning the birds did not have to visit UK gardens for food as often.
Some 6.5m birds were counted in 236,000 gardens for the RSPB on 27-28 January.
More than 400,000 people took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch.
...
The RSPB's head of climate change policy Ruth Davis said birds will adapt their behaviour to suit changing conditions.
"A snapshot in winter gives only part of the picture, but the varying birds visiting our gardens is one example of the impact climate change is having on the natural world," she said.
"Although the mild winter seems to have provided more food for song thrushes in the countryside this year, as changes to our climate become more extreme many birds will struggle to cope with the altered weather patterns."

Does anyone believe that the number of song thrushes in the UK (not just in gardens that happen to have been observed in this survey) has fallen by 65% in one year? Or the number of blackbirds by 25%? Well, it's possible, since populations do crash now and again. Or is it just that this survey is of little scientific value since there is no quality control (in particular no accounting for the accuracy of observation or the size of the garden) and since it does not include birds that do not happen to be observed in one of the surveyed gardens on those two specific days? Last year 470,000 people took part, so it looks like the public interest in this exercise might be waning.

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