Tag: Ornithology

Once resident in the UK, the Eurasian Hoopoe is the most widespread of its genus and is much admired for its striking appearance and entertaining character. Containing a huge amount of astonishing and fascinating facts about these magnificent birds, this book is packed with everything you need to know about this species. It is a captivating read for beginner, intermediate or expert alike, and for anyone who has an interest in birds and the natural world.

Neville Davies is an author, wildlife columnist, book reviewer, leader of nature walks and courses, and private bird guide specialising in the birdlife of Mallorca. His previous book, Birds of Mallorca provides readers with an essential guide to the best birding sites and 340 bird species that can be found on the Balearic island of Mallorca.

The Eurasian Hoopoe, which is due for publication at the end of November, provides an in-depth look at one of the species that has fascinated Neville since childhood.

We recently chatted with him about his inspiration behind the book, his hopes for the future of this incredible species, and his plans for further writing.

What inspired you to write a book about the Eurasian Hoopoe?

As a child I would often look through the bird books I had at the time, and one species that stood out for me from the hundreds of others was the European Hoopoe (hereafter referred to as the Hoopoe). There was something magical about this strange looking bird, with its ‘punk rocker’ plume of head feathers and black and white wing markings. It looked like an iconic bird and when I read it was found on the continent and other far-away places (which I assumed I would probably never get to visit), this made it even more special – the Hoopoe would forever be out of my grasp, or so I thought. Every time I acquired a new bird book, I always found myself going straight to the page on the Hoopoe. By 1990 I had decided that I was going to visit Mallorca specifically to find them; an early guidebook I had bought listed the Hoopoe as a common resident breeder, so I felt I had a good chance of finding one.

But by the third day of my first visit to Mallorca, there was still no sign of a Hoopoe. I was beginning to think that I was never going to see one and disappointment and anxiety started to creep in. But later that third day, I saw my first ever one flying low across a field and out of sight behind a farm building. I punched the air in sheer delight, I had finally seen one for real and my excitement was overwhelming. I went in search of it and spotted it along with a second bird. And what I had thought when looking through the guidebooks as a child was right, the Hoopoe is truly a magical bird and they look as characteristic in real life as in the books – the plume of punk rocker head feathers did not disappoint.

I already owned several bird books by other authors specifically on a single bird species, and this got me thinking, why not write about the Hoopoe? Not only is the Hoopoe my favourite species in the bird world, but surely there must be enough information available to make an interesting book. I was pleased to find research papers written on the Hoopoe from all over the world – there was certainly enough information for a book. The more I looked the more I found, and I learned so much about the Hoopoe that I didn’t already know. There were also some great photographs in these papers, and I started to contact several of the authors to ask if I could use their images and some of their findings. Thankfully, they were very keen to support me, so along with my own images and information I was able to provide more in-depth information, especially around breeding and prey items, and excellent photographs.

Could you tell us about the status of the Hoopoe and the kinds of threats they face?

The European breeding population is large (890,000 pairs), and the Hoopoe is doing well across the rest of its range in Asia and Africa; it is regarded as a species of Least Concern due to its widespread population. This does not mean we should be complacent, however, as the Hoopoe still faces threats, especially from hunting. The Hoopoe is regarded as a trophy species, and their distinctive undulating flight makes it an easy target for hunters and poachers. In Lebanon, for example, they are kept in cages to be sold in local markets and are often in a dreadful condition and poorly fed. It is sickening and distressing to know that a bird as majestic as the Hoopoe (or any bird for that matter) lives out the rest of its life in a cage, unable to enjoy the freedom of flight. One organisation that is doing sterling work to protect not just the Hoopoe but all birds is the Committee Against Bird Slaughter. They conduct annual bird protection operations in Spain, Italy, Malta, Cyprus and Lebanon.

Hoopoes face other forms of predation in the wild too. Both the Eleanora’s Falcon and Sooty Falcon will target Hoopoes as they migrate across open areas of water, where they are tired and easy prey. At their nest sites they can fall prey to several predators, with the seven main culprits being the Western Whip Snake, European Asp, Eurasian Magpie, Little Owl, Red Fox, Black Rat and domestic Cats.

You mention that Hoopoes were once resident in the UK but are now passing migrants. Could the Hoopoe make a long-term return?

Hoopoes were once a resident species in the UK but are now confined to being a scarce but regular passage migrant to Britain, with most sightings occurring in the spring and autumn. On average, sightings range between 100 and 150 individuals with the bulk of UK records coming from the south coast counties, although there are records from every county in the UK. The Hoopoe has bred here sporadically since the early 19th century with at least 1–4 instances recorded in each decade since the 1830s (again mostly from the southern counties). More modern records have appeared in 1971, 1976, 1977 and 1996. In 1977, pairs fledged young in Avon, Somerset, Surrey and Sussex, which is quite remarkable. The 1996 occurrence came from the Montgomeryshire area. On average, singing males are recorded every five years or so (males sing to attract females). Could they make a long-term return to the UK? Why not. In fact, recent news from Leicestershire reports that a pair of Hoopoes have successfully bred and raised three young and been seen frequenting a private garden.

Favourable conditions can bring in arrivals in large numbers, in some years this can be as early as late February. Hoopoes can turn up anywhere, with Ireland having at least 15 records; although, the further north one goes the scarcer the records become. Visiting the south coast during spring does not guarantee a Hoopoe sighting but it is certainly when and where there is the best chance of finding one. In southern England, favoured localities include the Isles of Scilly; Porthgwarra; Land’s End and the Lizard, Cornwall; Start Point and Prawle Point, Devon; Portland, the Needles, Isle of Wight; Selsey Bill, West Sussex; Dungeness and Sandwich Bay, Kent. Favourable likely locations on the east coast include Blakeney Point in Norfolk and Spurn East in Yorkshire. In the autumn, east coast locations tend to fair better sightings wise, with a scatter of drift and reverse migrants.

What conditions would be necessary for such a return?

In spring, when high pressure leads to fine settled weather over Western Europe, some migrants returning to the Mediterranean region fly right over their intended target and end up in Britain. This is known as overshooting. Across their range, Hoopoes can be seen in a variety of habitats, including gardens, parks, towns, villages, marsh edges, open fields with vegetation and ploughed fields. They can also be found in groves of olives, almonds, grapes and other fruits where the lines of trees provide shade, allowing them to feed during the hottest parts of the day, and the diversity of vegetation and rich soil also support a good variety of insect prey, including the Mole Cricket, their favoured prey.

If Hoopoes were to return to the UK permanently, they would need suitable breeding habitats, such as open areas of short grass and soft soil where they can probe for insect prey coupled with areas of mature trees in which they can build their nests in natural holes (they do not excavate holes). Old buildings, stone walls, cavities, cliffs, among boulders, drainpipes, wells, roof spaces and nest boxes are also used as nest sites. Although they prefer Mole Crickets, in the UK other species of cricket, grasshoppers, millipedes, centipedes, spiders, woodlice, snails, slugs, ants, and occasionally even lizards and frogs would form a part of their diet.

What would you recommend to someone looking to watch Hoopoes in the wild?

To maximise your chances of seeing Hoopoes in good numbers and to hear their distinctive calls, I recommend visiting somewhere where they are a common resident, such as in Spain or the Balearic Islands. In Mallorca for example, one site I visit is called Son Real where it is possible to see up to a dozen in a single visit. Visit the type of habitat they like to frequent, especially olive groves and orchards and open fields with a good scattering of nearby trees. Scan the ground as this is where they will be feeding, but also look to the roof tops of derelict buildings or outbuildings or the lower branches of trees where they like to perch. If you are quiet and do not move too much, they will allow you to approach them without being disturbed. Also, listen out for their ‘oop-oop-oop’ call which sounds like their name. Be patient, you will see one. If you visit other locations there are sub-species too, such as the African Hoopoe and Madagascar Hoopoe.

Do you have any plans for any further books you can tell us about?

I am hoping this book is a success, as I have thought about writing another book about the European Bee-eater. I have already written a bird guide called Birds of Mallorca (available from NHBS) – it will be no surprise that the cover photo features a Hoopoe. I have another book which I have written called Not Quite Living the Dream, which is based on my attempts to reside in Mallorca and covers everything from wellbeing to birds, but I am hoping a sponsor comes on board to support me financially with that one.

The Eurasian Hoopoe: Everything You Could Want to Know About This Iconic Bird is privately published by Neville Davies and available from nhbs.com.

The fifth and latest book in Stephen Moss’s captivating Bird Biographies series takes us on a nocturnal journal into the mysterious world of owls. Covering the seven species that can be found in the UK: the Tawny, Little, Barn, Long-eared, Short-eared, Snowy and Eagle Owl, this beautifully written and wide-ranging book effortlessly interweaves facts about their biology and ecology with snippets of folklore and tales from the author’s own experiences around the world.

Stephen Moss is a naturalist, author and broadcaster well known for his work with the BBC Natural History Unit working on landmark programmes such as Springwatch and The Nature of Britain. He currently holds the position of Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University and is also President of the Somerset Wildlife Trust.

Stephen recently took time out of his busy schedule to answer some of our questions about the book. We also chatted about the precarious status of the Eagle Owl in Britain, the likely impacts of the climate crisis on owls and his plans for continuing the Bird Biographies series.

A huge amount of research must go into writing a monograph such as this one. Did you learn or discover anything particularly surprising about owls during the process?

I always learn a huge amount about the subjects of these bird biographies! No matter how much you think you know about a bird’s lifecycle and cultural and social history, they always surprise you. Even really common species such as the Robin and Wren lead lives that we don’t totally understand. Because this book is the first in the series to include more than one main species (plus some material about other owls around the world) I learned something about every species – from the exact details of how Little Owls were introduced into the UK, to the many folk names of the Barn Owl, to how Tawny Owls dominate popular culture about owls. All absolutely fascinating, and will hopefully delight the reader!

What do you think are the most commonly held misconceptions about owls?

I think the main misconception about owls is that they are very rare – in fact there are about 50,000 breeding pairs of Tawny Owls in the UK, which is far more than Kestrels! Of course the reason we assume they are rare is that we hardly ever see them, because they are so nocturnal. I have seen Tawnies during the day, but only a handful of times in my entire lifetime. Other owls, of course, are far more diurnal (Little and Short-eared) or what birders call ‘crepuscular’, which means they are usually seen at dawn or dusk (Barn Owl). Only the Long-eared is as nocturnal as the Tawny – perhaps even more so, which is why we hardly ever see them! We also think of owls as friendly – or at least friendlier than hawks and eagles, which always look so fierce – perhaps because their eyes face forward, just like ours. And yet owls are lethal predators as well.

The final chapter in the book looks at the future of owls. How much do we know about the likely impacts of the climate crisis on owl populations in Britain?

Like any birds, owls are especially vulnerable to the climate crisis, and especially the unpredictable weather patterns, extremes of temperature, rainfall and drought, and the effects these will have on habitats and food supply – especially at a time when all bird species are facing issues such as persecution, pollution and habitat loss – and in the case of owls, also light pollution. And of course the Snowy Owl, which once bred in the northern extremities of the UK (on Fetlar in Shetland, where I saw one more than forty years ago) has now disappeared as a British breeding bird, and is very unlikely ever to return, as I explain in the book. Snowy Owls globally are also uniquely vulnerable to climate change, as they are the most northerly of all the world’s owl species.

I found the chapter on the Eagle Owl to be particularly captivating. However, opinions on its right to reside in the UK appear to be divided, even amongst conservationists. Leaving aside the argument about whether the species can be considered native or not, do you think concerns about its impact on other wildlife are justified?

This is a tricky one; and I do outline the arguments for and against Eagle Owls in Britain in the book. In some ways their impact on other wildlife is a red herring: as a top predator, their numbers are unlikely to ever rise so high that they cause major impacts on native species; indeed, if we want to save Hen Harriers (the occasional prey of the Eagle Owl) we would be better off dealing with their illegal persecution, rather than blaming the Eagle Owl.

Is there a species of owl you would still love to see in your lifetime?

Of all the world’s owls, I would love to see the largest – Blakiston’s Fish Owl of eastern Asia – and of course the smallest, the Elf Owl of North America. My son James lives in Japan, so perhaps I can look for the Blakiston’s Fish Owl when I visit him next year. But I’ve still only seen about 40 species of owl – about one in six of the world’s species, so there are plenty more to go!

Finally – what is occupying your time at the moment? And do you have plans to continue this series of bird biographies?

I’m just coming to the end of my dream job – teaching the MA in Nature and Travel Writing at Bath Spa University. I’ve led the course for eight years now, and loved working with such talented students and colleagues, but now it’s time to hand over to someone else, and spend more time exploring other projects. And yes, I’m working on a new bird biography – of one of my favourite birds, yet one that many people dislike – I’ll leave people to try and guess what that might be! I’ve got several ideas for future volumes and other ideas for books for the future. But I also want to spend more time with my grandson Sammy, who has just turned one, and get him into birding – and also travel, to see birds of course, in the UK and around the world.

The Owl: A Biography was published by Square Peg in October 2023 and is available from nhbs.com

An Identification Guide to Garden Birds of Britain and North-West Europe is a photographic guide to 75 species of bird most commonly found in or over the gardens of Britain and North-West Europe. The text combines scientific facts with affectionate descriptions of the birds’ identifying features, including sex and age differences, habits, nest types, eggs and calls. The introduction contains tips on how to identify birds, how to look after garden birds, which species can be seen throughout the year, a glossary and anatomy details. For each species, there are two or three photographs labelled with distinguishing features where appropriate, a calendar showing the time of year when the adult can be seen and star facts that give further proof of the birds’ fascinating features.

Dominic Couzens is an award-winning nature writer with 40 books and hundreds of published articles to his name. His best-known books include An Identification Guide to Garden Insects of Britain and North-West Europe, The Secret Lives of Garden Birds, Britain’s Mammals (WildGuides) and Save Our Species. Carl Bovis is a nature photographer with a particular passion for birds. The advent of digital photography has given him the opportunity to capture the birds he sees and share them with the world.

We were lucky enough to ask both Dominic and Carl a few questions about what inspired them to produce this guide, what the process was like to assemble it and the importance of providing habitats for birds in our gardens.

What inspired you to produce this introductory guide to garden birds?

Dominic: As a regular Twitter follower I quickly became aware of Carl’s work. What stood out for me was his wonderfully giving attitude, really helping “ordinary” people connect with birds and birdwatching with the use of clever and funny bird photos, as well as wondrous ones. He encourages everyone to get involved and to enjoy nature, and he does it in a unique way.

So from my (Dominic’s) point of view, it was a no-brainer to cooperate with Carl on an entry-level guide to garden birds, with his own special take.

This book follows on from a book on garden insects published with another first-time author, Gail Ashton, last year. In both guides we have used light-hearted introductions and mentioned star facts about each species, to helve delve into the subject’s life.

How did you choose which species to include in this guide?

Our subject was garden birds, and since we wanted to cover northern Europe we had a good range to choose from. Most species pick themselves, but the guide will stand or fall on what we include.

This guide is full of many wonderful and illustrative photographs. What was the process like to assemble these? Where there any species that were particularly difficult to attain clear photos of?

Carl: I’m known for taking photos of the common birds, a lot of which many serious bird photographers turn their noses up at! So a book about garden birds was perfect for me, as I have taken many photos of them over the last few years and had many to choose from. I also have a passion for catching birds in flight, the shape and angles of their wings and tail fascinate me. Obviously this is an ID book, so perched birds are essential, but we’ve included lots of flight shots too.

It’s very rewarding for me to have my photos in this guide. A couple of years ago I was talking to a serious birder at Steart Marshes and he said to me; ‘your photos of birds are very engaging, but they’d never be in a mainstream bird book’. I didn’t take offence, I like that many of my photos are different to the norm, but at the same time, I’m happy now to have proved him wrong!

It’s also an honour to collaborate with Dominic on this, as before I even knew him personally, I had bought and enjoyed many of his previous books, and had attended one of his fascinating talks on bird behaviour. He is nature-writing ‘royalty’ as far as I’m concerned.

The shy and rarer garden birds were obviously toughest to get clear photos of, especially ones that don’t visit my own little Somerset garden where many of the photos were taken. So birds like Bullfinch, Treecreeper and Redstart were a challenge. If you get them in your garden, consider yourself lucky!

Included with this interview are a few of my favourite photos from the book.

Given the many pressures facing our garden birds, are there any species in this guide that you think won’t be so common in coming years?

Dominic: We have included a number that are declining, such as Marsh and Willow Tits, Chaffinches and Greenfinches. The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is in serious trouble, and both House Martins and Swifts are on the wane. There are others, too.

But I do think it’s very important to let people just discover and enjoy birds. I hope the book inspires first and foremost.

This guide includes a section on looking after garden birds, giving tips as to how people with gardens can help. How important is it that people make their gardens into good habitats for birds?

Dominic: Gardens are incredibly important for two reasons. They are the best place for people and birds to meet, and for people to get excited about birds and love them.

Secondly, gardens are where everybody can be a conservationist. The overall fortunes of birds and other wildlife often feel as though they are outside our control, but in gardens we can make decisions that directly affect wildlife. If enough people realised how important their backyard decisions were to wildlife, they might be inspired to do more.

Are there any plans to continue this series and, if so, which other species groups that you would like to make an identification guide about?

Dominic: Yes, a book on Trees is already well in production. Any others in the series may require us to get John Beaufoy, our publisher, drunk so that we can persuade him to do some more.

An Identification Guide to Garden Birds of Britain and North-West Europe by Dominic Couzens and Carl Bovis is published by John Beaufoy Publishing in June 2023 and is available from nhbs.com.

When the Kite Builds…: Why and How We Restored Red Kites Across Britain is an informative and comprehensive examination of the project to reintroduce red kites to England and Scotland. Mike Pienkowski, the chairmen of this project, describes why the decision was taken and how it was implemented, as well as examining the success of the experiment and exploring the outcomes from this success. Chapters cover how nestlings were collected and imported, how the kites were reared, the initial survival after release, education and public awareness, and much more.

Below is our interview with Mike Pienkowski, where we discuss how he became involved in this project, whether population recovery would have been possible without reintroduction, how the increase in red kites has impacted or enhanced the British countryside, and more. When the Kite Builds… was published in February 2023.

Dr Mike Pienkowski will be signing copies of his book at the NHBS stand, number S107, in Swallow Marquee at Global Birdfair on Saturday 15th of July between 2–3pm.

When the Kite Builds… is a comprehensive overview and analysis of the project to restore red kites to Britain. How did you become involved in this project and why did you decide to write this book?

From the mid-1980s, I was Head of Ornithology at the Nature Conservancy Council (then the UK Government conservation agency). NCC was struggling to implement legislation which it had not drafted, and which tended to give the false impression that conservationists were always negative to others. Among a review of all the projects we needed to meet bird conservation needs, I wanted to include something clearly positive and cooperative. There were at the time three globally threatened bird species which occurred in Britain. One was red kite, whose range was now restricted to Europe, and declining across most of it. Red kites had been common across Britain in the Middle Ages, and valued as the recycling agents of the time, clearing bodies from city and countryside, but had later been exterminated from England, Scotland and Ireland, with just a tiny isolated and interbred population surviving in central Wales involving intense protection. Could we restore red kites across Britain? Colleagues in RSPB had been thinking along similar lines, and we formed a joint project team, which I chaired. From 1984, we researched all aspects and began an experimental introduction in 1989. When this proved successful by 1995, we encouraged others to use our methods in other appropriate locations across the country.

I wanted to document the process, the full story of what one reviewer described as “a mixture of science, politics and luck” – especially as there have been few books addressing all aspects of science-based conservation projects. I had started the book in the mid-1990s – but various things intervened. I went back to it a couple of times and finished it during lockdown. It is actually a much better book now than it would have been 25 years ago, both because we can see the real outcomes and I can be more open now than would have been possible then.

Chapter 10 discusses education and public awareness, especially among landowners and gamekeepers. Do you believe that population recovery would have been possible without reintroduction through extensive campaigns to educate the public to reduce persecution and increase suitable habitats or was the existing population too small to be viable?

I think that the two elements worked together. In fact, we planned in the hope that they would. Although we considered that, in much of the country, illegal persecution was much reduced, making releases viable, we knew that this was not the case everywhere and, especially when the young kites dispersed, that we would probably lose a few to this vile activity (which by far the majority of land-owners and game-keepers deplore). We found that the public were horrified by deaths from such causes, particularly of birds imported to correct previous human errors. We are grateful to the public, police and public health authorities for securing several successful prosecutions. These and the campaigns did lead to a reduction in such activity. This has allowed not only red kites but also other species, such as buzzard and raven, to repopulate some of their former ranges.

There have been reports that the illegal killings of birds of prey have been surging across the UK in recent years. Has this affected the red kite populations, and do you think it will impact the success of any other bird of prey species’ reintroductions?

Despite the overall positive trend in decent decades, illegal killings have continued, particularly in certain regions of the country, particularly those with many moorland shooting estates. Whilst most estates are probably law-abiding, it does not take many to devastate a bird of prey population. This is not limited to reintroduction projects but applies strongly to some species, such as the hen harrier, which would be doing so much better without this activity. In the same areas that hen harriers suffer, individuals of other species, including red kite and buzzard, do not survive long. Such higher mortality is why the red kites released in the Black Isle in the north of Scotland increased in population size at a much slower rate than did those in the Chilterns in the same experimental phase of the project. Despite these problems, red kites in the UK now account for well over 10% of the world population. Hen harriers suffer because they are more restricted in habitat than red kites, and this habitat is the centre of most remaining illegal persecution.

How has the increase in red kite populations across Britain impacted or enhanced the countryside?

I may be biased, but I see that most people seem to agree that it is an enhancement. The fact that the red kites increased at a rate at the upper limit of our models shows how well they still fit in, after their absence of over 100 years. In general, it does not seem to be at the cost of other species, The nearest in ecology to them, buzzards, have been spreading as well, as I mentioned earlier. In a few urban areas, there have been complaints about kites diving at people. However, it seems that this has occurred only in certain town areas where some people have ignored our advice not to provide food. This leads to a range of problems for the kites and other humans. Overall, people seem to be delighted to experience such beautifully coloured birds of prey, with their amazing aerobatic ability, due to their huge wing area but relatively small, light bodies.

Chapter 12 discusses the reintroductions and recovery programmes of other species of wildlife. Are there any species that you hope will be reintroduced to the UK soon?

There is not a one-size-fits-all solution; each species needs individual study, assessment and outreach. I think that beavers have largely proved the case for themselves (with a little help from open-minded humans), and a human-led exercise for white storks seems very promising. I think that the cases are strong for pine marten (especially if, like me, one would like to see the range of red squirrels restored) and for lynx (a medium-sized cat very shy of humans, which might help address the problems that the over-population of deer pose to tree saplings). As the book indicates, there are others waiting in line, once we build further confidence with these. Britain’s wildlife populations are hugely depleted due to human actions, and we now have the methods to bring some back, if we have the will.

What do you believe are the key barriers to successful reintroductions and species restorations in the UK? How have these changed since the red kite restoration began?

The red kite restoration faced the problem in attitude that many people thought that such things could not be done, and certainly not in densely populated south-eastern England. That is now overcome. However, we must always start from the objective: reintroduction is one of a range of methods that can be deployed. It is best (and least expensive!) not to lose species in the first place. But we are still doing so, whether it be hen harriers or breeding waders (just staying in the world of birds). We need to reverse the serious habitat changes, such as excessive drainage or illegal persecution, as immediate priorities. Even for those species lost to Britain (or elsewhere) and which we wish to reintroduce, before doing so, we need to ensure that there is suitable habitat. The book gives examples of where habitat needed restoration first. One also needs to meet other internationally agreed criteria including avoiding threat to the source population.

Do you have any future projects that you can tell us about?

Most of my work nowadays is as the honorary Chairman of the charity UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum. Britain is internationally important for wildlife, but its Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are even more so. However, these are small places, with small human populations and small economies – so they are hugely underfunded. In fact, all proceeds from the sale of ‘When the Kite Builds…‘ are going in support of this charity’s work. UKOTCF encourages others to undertake conservation work in support of UKOTs, such as the marine protected zones of Pitcairn, Tristan da Cunha, Ascension and St Helena, and the restoration of South Georgia and Ascension. UKOTCF’s in-house projects, always with local partners, include both liaison work across UKOTs and projects with individual territories, such as our current project in Montserrat, ‘Adopt a Home for Wildlife’, empowering local residents and communities to take a lead in managing areas to support conservation.

When the Kite Builds…: Why and How We Restored Red Kites Across Britain was published by UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum in February 2023 and is available from nhbs.com