Birdwatch UK October 2017

migration more generally, and about

the potential impact of future climate

and land use change. We also need to

understand more about the decisions

made by individual cuckoos, addressing

the question of why particular birds

follow particular routes. A fi nal area of

uncertainty centres on the behaviour

of female and juvenile birds, both of

which leave Britain later in the year.

Tagging work has revealed that some

male cuckoos, which arrive in Britain in

late April or early May, can depart our

shores as early as the fi rst week of June.

It seems likely that the conditions

faced on autumn migration by female

and young birds will be di erent from

those encountered by males. The work

has initially focused on male birds in

part because they are easier to catch,

but also because they are usually bigger

than the females and so able to carry the

devices more easily. Once smaller tags

become available, Dr Hewson hopes

to be able to tag females and juveniles,

something that should unlock another

piece of the cuckoo puzzle.

Painting the picture

The research that Chris Hewson and his

BTO colleagues are doing is only part

of the story; further work is ongoing

to understand why so many of our

summer migrants are in decline. BTO

researchers, often in collaboration

with colleagues elsewhere, are using

other tracking devices to reveal the

migration routes and stop-over sites

used by species such as Common Swift,

46 Birdwatch•October 2017 http://www.birdguides.com/birdwatch

MIGRATION

Spotted Flycatcher, Wood Warbler and

European Nightjar.

Additionally, the BTO’s long-term

data sets are being used to look for

patterns that might indicate why

some migrants are faring worse than

others. For example, those species

wintering within the Humid Tropical

Zone of West and Central

Africa, together with those

wintering in Southern

Africa, have been found

to have declined more

rapidly between 1994

and 2008 than species

wintering elsewhere. Such

information can help to

direct more focused work,

carried out on the ground

in Africa.

There is another side

to the work being done

to identify the causes

behind the declines seen

in many of our familiar

summer birds. While

science can provide the

evidence, making the

case for conservation

action and monitoring

progress towards its goals,

we also need to engage

communities – here

and elsewhere along

the migration routes – in the stories

of these migrant birds. If people do

not understand the issues facing the

birds and care about them, then the

conservation e orts are likely to fail.

Similarly, it is important for those

working towards the protection of

migrant birds to understand how

individual species are perceived by the

human communities with which they

interact. One of the best ways to make

this connection is through the creative

arts. When used alongside science, the

creative arts can make a stronger, more

emotive case for conservation.

Whether it is the sight of House

Martins and Swallows gathering

on autumn wires or the sound of a

spring Common Cuckoo, our summer

visitors mark the changing seasons and

strengthen our sense of connection

with the natural world. At a time when

so many of our migrant birds are in

decline, our fascination with migration

has even more relevance. By using the

creative arts to tell the stories of these

species, and to bring to new audiences

the work being done to understand why

their numbers are falling, we can engage

new voices in support of the science

and conservation action that is needed

to ensure our reedbeds continue to

hold breeding Reed Warblers and their

Common Cuckoo chicks. ■

Zone of West and Central

Africa, together with those

wintering in Southern

Africa, have been found

to have declined more

rapidly between 1994

and 2008 than species

wintering elsewhere. Such

information can help to

direct more focused work,

carried out on the ground

in Africa.

to the work being done

to identify the causes

behind the declines seen

in many of our familiar

summer birds. While

science can provide the

evidence, making the

case for conservation

action and monitoring

A male Common Cuckoo is released after being fi tted with a

satellite tag that will allow it to be tracked to Africa and back.

TOBY SMITH (WWW.BTO.ORG)

NIGEL HAWTIN

1710 p044-047 lines of flight FINa.indd 46 15/09/2017 15:56