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02/09/2008
Birds of Britain are to have their future safeguarded, thanks to local water company support.
Essex & Suffolk Water is sponsoring a species in the British Trust for Ornithology’s Bird Atlas 2007-11, the first bird atlas update for 20 years.
The water company is the £5000 sponsor of the cormorant, a distinctive waterbird with a breeding colony at Essex & Suffolk Water’s Abberton Reservoir, near Colchester.
Both varieties of cormorant, the nominate Ph.c.carbo race and the continental Europe Ph.c.sinensis race, have nested in willow trees beside the reservoir since 1981. This is the first example of successful tree breeding in Britain since 1916.
Ringing of cormorant chicks shows there has been a steady decline in breeding nests at the reservoir in recent years. A total of 201 nests were recorded at Abberton in 2008, a drop from a peak of 551 breeding nests in 1996, highlighting the need for further research.
Kim Wallis, conservation advisor at Essex & Suffolk Water, said: “Abberton Reservoir is one of Europe’s top wetland sites, with international importance as a safe haven for wildlife.
“We’re lucky, and rather unique, to be one of the few sites in Britain where both races of cormorants nest in trees. By sponsoring the cormorant species in the bird atlas and ringing cormorant chicks, we can help ensure that a record of the colony exists for future generations, as well as providing the opportunity for important scientific research.”
Cormorants ringed at Abberton Reservoir have been observed as far away as Tunisia and Poland.
Jez Blackburn, licensing and sales team leader at the British Trust for Ornithology, said: “Updating the bird atlas is a mammoth task, which is why it can only be undertaken periodically, and we’re grateful to Essex & Suffolk Water for their support in making this happen.”
The British Trust for Ornithology is using the data from the Abberton cormorant ringing project, along with data from other ringing projects throughout Europe, to produce a scientific paper highlighting the population and distribution of inland tree breeding cormorants in England.
Dr. Stuart Newson, population biologist at the British Trust for Ornithology, who has worked on the ringing project at Abberton, said: “Through the ringing, we’ve been able to determine where the cormorants are migrating to or from, their role in the establishment of new colonies and a better understanding of their breeding performance and survival.
“The overall atlas will show us how quickly the distribution of breeding birds has changed, which may be indicative of wider issues.”
More information on the British Trust for Ornithology’s Bird Atlas 2007-11 and cormorants can be found at www.bto.org.
For more information contact Leanne Clough on 0191 301 6733.