GBW Annual Results
Thanks to the dedication of our BTO Garden BirdWatchers we now have the results from Garden BirdWatch for 2020, showing how different species fared during this unusual year. These records show us how the birds we see in our gardens can differ greatly from year to year.
2020 Annual Results
The accompanying chart shows the reporting rates for 2019 (pale green) and 2020 (dark green).
Notable changes include the decline in Blue Tit and Great Tit sightings between 2019 and 2020, following a poor breeding season. Blackbird numbers were down, the result of a combination of dry conditions hampering breeding success and fewer birds arriving from overseas in the autumn. Siskins were also seen in fewer gardens in spring 2020, but higher numbers were reported by the end of the year.
On a positive note, more Wrens were reported in 2020 than the previous year, highlighting the continued recovery from 2018's 'Beast from the East', which hit this and other small birds hard. Sparrowhawk did well in 2020, its population continuing to recover and expand, following an end to widespread persecution.
Select to enlarge.
Select to enlarge.
More about changes in garden bird numbers
Read more detail about the changes in our common garden birds we have seen over 25 years of Garden BirdWatch, as well as some staggering statistics about the scale of the data set Garden BirdWatchers have collected.
Article originally published in issue 101 of Bird Table magazine for Garden BirdWatchers.
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