| The
Song Thrush |
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| Singing
for its supper - the song thrush. Photo: RSPB |
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The
sound of the song thrush could disappear from our gardens and woodlands
unless we take measures to restore its habitat. |
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The magnificent
and far-carrying song of the song thrush can still regularly be heard
in our parks, gardens and woodlands.
Often
confused with the mistle thrush (but best distinguished by the orange
flash of its underwing compared to the pale flash of a mistle thrush),
this frequent yet timid garden visitor is perhaps best known for its
habit of using stones to crack open snail shells.
Why are they in decline?
Since the early 1970s the song thrush has declined by over 70% on
farmland and 50% in woodlands. The reasons for this decline are poorly
understood but may relate to the loss of hedges and wooded habitats
on farms; the switch from spring to autumn sown cereals; the use of
slug pellets and other pesticides on farms and in gardens, depriving
the song thrush of snails and slugs when the ground is too hard to
seek out worms (particularly in late summer).
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What
can you do to help the song thrush?
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- Stop
the use of slug pellets in your garden or allotment. Alternatives
include developing low shrub growth to encourage birds,
hedgehogs or frogs which will help control slugs and snails,
as well as other garden pests.
- Grow
shrubs such as holly, ivy, blackthorn and hawthorn. These
provide an important late season food source to help sustain
the song thrush through winter.
- Remember
to put out food for birds in winter - on the ground as well
as on the bird table, to allow for ground-feeding species
such as song thrush. Cheese, apples, dried fruit and breadcrumbs
are particularly favoured, especially if near shrubs or
other low growth that might provide cover for this shy bird
if disturbed.
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The Wildlife Trust, RSPB and others are encouraging farmers and landowners
to take up more sympathetic management of hedgerows, thickets and
farm woodlands, as well as to reduce their usage of pesticides and
to consider mixed farming. These measures would help many other forms
of wildlife in addition to the song thrush.
Biodiversity Action Plan
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s Biodiversity Partnership promotes
the importance of conserving our species and habitats. Cambridgeshire
local authorities, Peterborough City Council, English Nature, the
Environment Agency, RSPB, the Wildlife Trust and Anglian Water are
all members of this partnership.
Biodiversity is described as ‘the WOW factor – the Wealth of Wildlife
that surrounds us’.
The Biodiversity Partnership has prepared Biodiversity Action Plans
for key species and habitats. These plans include a set of actions
that a number of organisations have agreed to carry out to conserve
our wildlife. The plan for the song thrush will focus everyone’s attention
on actions that will help the song thrush survive in Cambridgeshire
and Peterborough.
Now take part in our survey
More about Pipistrelle Bats >>
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The
BBC Cambridgeshire Action Desk has free copies of the following
leaflets:
- BBC
Wild Britain
- The
Song Thrush
- The
Pipistrelle Bat
- Great
Crested Newts
- Sample
copies of BBC Wildlife Magazine
If you
would like any of the above, please contact the Action Desk on 0845
300 10 90 or send an email to: cambs.action@bbc.co.uk
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