In order to understand why Spotted Flycatcher has declined at such an alarming rate, the BTO has launched an appeal to raise funds for tracking devices, so that it can be better understood where the species goes during migration and the winter.
Spotted Flycatcher has undergone a wretched modern-day decline, with Breeding Bird Survey data showing a breeding population drop of 39 per cent between 1995 and 2016. This is part of a staggering longer-term decline of 87 per cent since 1970. The results of initial research indicate that more Spotted Flycatchers are dying during the first year of their lives and that this increased mortality is likely to be behind the population decline.
Spotted Flycatcher has declined by 87 per cent during the past five decades (Clive Daelman).
Funds raised through this Spotted Flycatcher appeal will enable BTO scientists to use a combination of the latest tracking devices and the support of local volunteers to follow individual birds as they migrate away from their breeding sites. As a result, how certain events occurring at different stages of the birds' annual cycle are having an impact on their population can be better understood.
To make a donation, please click here. As well as contributing to the appeal, you can make a difference by logging every Spotted Flycatcher you see on BirdTrack. While having declined drastically, this species is probably under-recorded in some areas. So, when the birding season slows down during June and July, why not try and discover a pair or two local to you?
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