South Dublin Branch Hands On

One of the frequently asked questions of members of BirdWatch is "What are you doing about Magpies, they're killing all the songbirds?". The following, taken from the RSPB http://www.rspb.org.uk/, gives a balanced view of their effect, or lack of, on songbird numbers and how to cope with them. The Effect of Magpies on Songbirds The BTO found no evidence that increased numbers of Magpies have caused declines in songbirds ... Most members of the crow family (including magpies) will take eggs and nestlings. This can be upsetting to witness but it is completely natural. However, some people are concerned that there may be a long-term effect on songbird populations. Many of the UK's commonest songbirds have declined significantly during the last 25 years, at a time when populations of Magpies increased. To find out why songbirds are in trouble, the RSPB is undertaking intensive research on species such as the Skylark and Song Thrush. To discover whether Magpies (or Sparrowhawks) could be to blame for the decline, the RSPB commissioned the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to analyse its 35 years of bird monitoring records. The study found that songbird numbers were no different in places where there were many Magpies or Sparrowhawks from where there are few. It found no evidence that increased numbers of Magpies have caused declines in songbirds and confirms that populations of prey species are not determined by numbers of their predators. It is the availability of food and suitable places in which to nest that decide the population. Having discounted predation as a possible factor, the RSPB continues to study the loss of food and habitats caused by intensive farming. The change from spring to autumn sowing and the increase in the use of agricultural chemicals have reduced the amount of insects and weed seeds available for songbirds to eat. These changes, and others, including the removal of hedgerows which are used as nesting, roosting and feeding sites by some birds, have probably played a part in the severe declines in many of our farmland species. Many people are concerned that the use of some garden chemicals may also remove the birds' natural food supply, and may be a problem when they are raising their young. Protecting nesting birds ... what you can do Songbirds need dense vegetation to nest in, to help protect their eggs and young from predators. This is not usually available in suburban gardens. You can help the birds in your garden by planting climbers such as ivy and honeysuckle, and dense shrubs such as hawthorn. You can also help by putting a collar with a bell around your cat's neck, and by encouraging your neighbours to do the same. This will give a warning to parent birds who are often caught by cats when foraging for food for their young. See Wildlife Gardening You can protect songbird nests with two-inch mesh wire netting. For hole-nesting birds, or open nestboxes, simply fix the netting a foot or so around and over the box ensuring that it is at least one foot away from the entrance hole and cannot be forced flat. Put a two-foot circle of netting around a nest on the ground, with a netting roof just below the height of the surrounding vegetation (but at least one foot above the nest). Use a forked stick to prop up the centre to prevent a predator pressing it down. For larger birds, such as Blackbirds, three-inch mesh can be used. A rectangle of wire fitted above the nest has also been successful. Magpies are wary of traps, so it is possible that just the presence of netting over a nest is sufficient to put them off. Old rusty netting is best. but new netting can be camouflaged with streaks of green and black paint (please allow this to dry before putting in position). The best time to protect a nest is probably during incubation and certainly as soon as the eggs hatch. Many small birds may desert a nest if disturbed during building. Only the most severe upheaval will cause a bird to desert a nest with young in it. Nests are also more vulnerable once the young have hatched.