During a visit to the east coast at Spurn to see bird migration in action, there were some bird ringing demonstrations to observe!

Bird ringing is an important part of conservation. It allows us to learn about different species behaviours, patterns and how to best manage conservation to help these birds. The BTO - British Trust for Ornithology organise the ringing scheme in the UK. They say that the information generated helps to monitor a birds survival, productivity and movement and help understand why their populations change. Spurn is a great place for this as it is a hugely important feeding location for birds about to migrate over seas. They drop into the area to feed up one last time before the big journey! For many it is the last bit of land they will see before arriving in their wintering grounds.

First of all they need to catch the birds. To do this they place a net along a flight route - in this case they were targeting small birds like warblers so they placed the net close to a bush which the birds would fly to and from. When the wind is not there the net merges against the bush and is barely visible. This means the birds fly straight into in and then drop into little pockets to keep them trapped. The BTO ringer checks on the nets very frequently so a bird is not trapped for long.

Once caught, the ringer will identify the bird, check it over and then take some measurements such as the weight, the approximate age and detail any information. They then put a suitable size metal ring on the birds leg, closing it with some special pliers. The rings do not hamper the birds in any way and the whole process does not hurt the birds. The ringers have to master the art of holding a bird so that it can’t hurt itself trying to get away. While the bird will no doubt be stressed out for a few moments, once it has been released they are back on with their normal life!

If a bird is caught that already has a ring, they will note down the ring number and the same measurements to compare with the database. Thanks to doing this, they could tell that most of the Meadow Pipits that were heading off on migration had been born in Scotland or Iceland and then migrated through the UK to places in northern Africa. Thanks to ringing we know where these birds go, when they go, how long they stay and when they come back. It was quite humbling to look at this tiny bird in the mans hands, and think about the journey it is about to make.

Whilst giving a Willow Warbler a check over that had been caught, they checked the feather condition. They noted it had 5 primary feathers which confirmed it was a Willow Warbler. Another bird which looks pretty much identical is a Chiffchaff - But they have 6 primary feathers. They could also tell the bird was a male because of how long those feathers were - All information possible due to these efforts. The feathers on a Robin also determined that the bird was in fact a bird born this year!

*Inspecting the feathers on a Willow Warbler*

The birds weight was also measure by placing the bird head first into a canister to weight it. It was noted with one bird that it was a little on the light side for a big migration and this was likely due to the dry summer we have experienced. The whole process takes only a couple of minutes and then the bird is released. While the initial feeling is sadness for the birds being caught and trapped, when you understand the reason and amazing knowledge that is gained from such practices it is so worth it!

A Reed Warbler was caught which had actually been caught by the same ringer 3 weeks earlier, so he could tell it had been in the area at least 3 weeks and was surprised it had not set off to Africa yet - again, all important data. If a bird is found dead somewhere with a ring it can be reported to the BTO. While the birds death is sad the information can help to show a picture of where birds fly when they migrate and maybe determine why the bird has died - could there be any correlations at all, maybe it was old age etc. So if you ever find a bird ring - let the BTO know!

Bird Ringing

Britains Most Elusive Owl