RSPB SUPPORT

adrian1963

adrian1963

Well-Known Member
After having a chat with a fellow photographer at the RSPB reserve in Sandwell I have started to wonder which animal collections actually support the RSPB as someone else has raised a question on another site about this and got no replies.

I think this is a better site to raise this question.

Which animals collections have any breeding programmes or any other activities to raise awareness for the RSPB or help in any other way to protect OUR bird species from what now appears to be a very bad decline even in some of our once common species.

Which animal collections sell thier much collected pin badges or any other products that have the RSPB label on as this would help fund breeding programmes and help mantain reserves for the sake of the birds and the future.

I know of only one centre that sells RSPB pin badges (Hagley falconry centre) other collections I have visited have not sold them WHY
 
adrian1963 said:
Which animals collections have any breeding programmes or any other activities to raise awareness for the RSPB or help in any other way to protect OUR bird species from what now appears to be a very bad decline even in some of our once common species.

I know of only one centre that sells RSPB pin badges (Hagley falconry centre) other collections I have visited have not sold them WHY
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Maybe others can answer your question more precisely, but I can't think of many wildlife parks/zoos which are involved with British Bird projects, which are also supported by the RSPB. Two possible exceptions are the WWT Crane reintroduction project(which is not actually a captive breeding one) and the Whipsnade/ZSL Corncrake breeding and reintroduction project- though I don't know (without researching them) if RSPB have any involvement with either of these.

I do know in the past they have come out against certain captive-breeding/reintroduction projects- the (Cornwall) Paradise Park Cornish Choughs is one example- the RSPB were definately against them making any releases once natural colonisation began in 2001. So I think Paradise Park is one place where you won't see much RSPB merchandise on sale.

Overall I don't know the situation at other places, but I cannot see the RSPB making reciprocal awareness of the work of zoos and wildlife parks at their own reserves. I think the agendas of Zoos/Wildlife Parks and the RSPB are pretty far apart generally speaking.
 
In 2010 Chester Zoo collaborated with the RSPB on the Big Garden Birdwatch. There were a lot of RSPB stands in the zoo and joint tours, including for those who were taking part in the census.

I'd be interested to know if the RSPB reciprocated in any way.
 
Pertinax said:
Maybe others can answer your question more precisely, but I can't think of many wildlife parks/zoos which are involved with British Bird projects, which are also supported by the RSPB. Two possible exceptions are the WWT Crane reintroduction project(which is not actually a captive breeding one) and the Whipsnade/ZSL Corncrake breeding and reintroduction project- though I don't know (without researching them) if RSPB have any involvement with either of these.
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They are involved with the corncrakes.

Corncrake conservation
 
A recent discussion with a professional ecologist touched on how effective is the RSPB policy on bird protection . They seem to be loathe to control predators on their reserves in case this upsets their broad membership who might not understand or accept the need for this . I know the scientific studies suggest that magpie predation does not reduce songbird numbers . But as the numbers of these songbirds are so low , if there were fewer magpies could songbird numbers increase ?
 
Bele said:
A recent discussion with a professional ecologist touched on how effective is the RSPB policy on bird protection . They seem to be loathe to control predators on their reserves in case this upsets their broad membership who might not understand or accept the need for this . I know the scientific studies suggest that magpie predation does not reduce songbird numbers . But as the numbers of these songbirds are so low , if there were fewer magpies could songbird numbers increase ?
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I think it depends on the type of predator. Most RSPB reserves are not set up for the sort of garden songbirds which magpies prey on. I think that rats and mink are the only predators that should be controlled as a rule - although there might be a case for deterring gulls in some cases.

Alan
 
@Bele of course people will always try and pass the blame onto someone or something else the real reason that song birds are decreasing is because WE are destroying thier habit but WE will not accept it till its too late

EDIT - I agree totally with Gentle Lemur too many seagulls!!!!!!!
 
adrian1963 said:
@Bele of course people will always try and pass the blame onto someone or something else the real reason that song birds are decreasing is because WE are destroying thier habit but WE will not accept it till its too late
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Read Bele's post again - he clearly says that magpies are not reducing song bird numbers, but that removing (some of) them might allow an increase. He's not blaming the magpies for anything!
 
Maguari I agree with what you have said sorry Bele for miss reading the comment.

I would like to know why round here we have a large quantity of cuckoos (rare in most areas nowadays) so would it be ok to get rid of some of these as they actually remove eggs from most birds nests to put thier own in thier place.
We used to have a problem with Magpies a few years ago but had hundreds of song birds around at the same time, but since the cuckoos have moved in the song birds have decreased in numbers I think you could change the bird species around quite a bit in different parts of the country as some area's have problems with Carrion Crows, Ravens, Jackdaws, Jays, Sparrowhawks ect

If WE as humans were to stop for one minute and look at what we are doing in OUR countryside then maybe the song birds stand a chance to return
 
adrian1963 said:
I would like to know why round here we have a large quantity of cuckoos (rare in most areas nowadays) so would it be ok to get rid of some of these as they actually remove eggs from most birds nests to put thier own in thier place.
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As you said, Cuckoos are declining in most parts of the UK. They do tend to be more commonly found in certain habitats than others e.g. heathland, reedbed/fen. I don't think they are considered responsible for any decline in songbirds- in UK there are three major 'host' species according to the habitat- Dunnock(Hedge sparrow) Reed Warbler and Meadow Pipit. Other passerine species are used more rarely. 'Songbirds' is normally the description given to species such as Blackbird, Songthrush, Robin, Finches etc most of which are rarely, if ever parasitised by Cuckoos.

A cuckoo normally only removes one egg from a nest to replace with its own. However the cuckoo chick when it hatches will push out all the other eggs or nestlings of the host bird. But with the current numbers of cuckoos in decline the populations of even their host species are in no danger from them.
 
Funnily enough the latest RSPB magazine mentions cuckoos. There's an interesting article about the recent shift of spring to a few weeks earlier in the year and how it affect songbirds. The native species are starting to nest earlier to take advantage of earlier peaks in insect numbers, but migrant birds including cuckoos are arriving at their normal time, meaning that most species find less insects than usual and in the case of cuckoos, their host species have already hatched their eggs. I doubt you could pin that on magpies!

I also think there are two habitats to be considered when talking about songbird numbers: the urban garden habitats where most species including corvids have grown in numbers, and farmland/rural habitats where a lot of species are in decline. I think too many people see increasing numbers of magpies in the garden that prey on inexperienced nesting birds (as happened the first year after we moved into this house - our blackbirds have since learned better and we don't see them until the youngsters are fledged and full-sized, plus we offer alternative and easier food sources for our corvids), hear about declining bird species numbers and put 2 and 2 together to get 5.

I firmly believe that pesticide use and over-managed countryside with decreasing habitats is a much greater threat to songbird numbers than the presence of predators. The success of bird species in the comparatively more artificial back garden environment where habitat and food are provided suggests that if those 2 needs are provided, numbers will grow.
 
Maisie said:
plus we offer alternative and easier food sources for our corvids
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Doesn't that attract more corvids- as potential raiders of Songbird nests?
Where I live Magpies are rarely seen but there are very large numbers of Jackdaws and someone nearby encourages them even more by feeding them. I've never seen a Magpie in my garden but in spring Jackdaws sometimes 'work' the hedgerows looking to take the fledglings of songbirds. They never go down into the hedges at any other time of year, and you can observe the parent songbirds (mainly Blackbird) mobbing them. I would certainly say the numbers of these Jackdaws should be controlled.
 
I get 2 or 3 magpies in my garden, 10-15 jackdaws and 3-4 rooks. There's bird seed, peanuts, bread (buttered! The other half goes too far...), fat balls, cheese, raisins... I think that's it. There's plenty for all, and the corvids show no interest in the other birds or their nests. They come in, eat their fill and often carry away beaks and pouches of food for their mates and young, then bring the kids here when they've fledged.
 
I would happily swap some of Adrian1963's cuckoos which are now very rare around here for some of the magpies which are very common ! If only life were so simple .

I believe there is very little 'natural' about most of rural and urban Britain , all is to at least some extent affected by us . Old-style farming practices favoured farmland birds so they increased , modern farming practices are generally not bird friendly so numbers decline . Garden bird feeding and provision of nest-boxes favours the birds that can adapt to utilising the resource , perhaps at the expense of others that cannot . 'Domestic' cats kill vast numbers of wildlife . A couple of foxes , hedgehogs or a kestrel can wipe out a ground-nesting colony of sea-birds . On old-style shooting estates where predators were controlled many species other than game thrived .

This is a very complicated subject and I have set out a few examples of the problems above but do not have answers .
 
The nesting birds in my garden often fell victim to magpie predation, blackbirds seemingly being the most vulnerable.

The (strange) accidental solution has been the annual presence of nesting magpies, who now leave the other birds in the garden well alone.
 
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