11/6/2019

‘Wildlife expert’ sends out misleading message on predation: Our letter to BBC Wildlife

Chris Packham

Chris Packham was very careful with his words, yet he still misleads us when he says magpie predation does not in itself cause population declines of other birds (Change is coming, June). It depends on your starting point. As indicated, farming intensification has been the main cause of population declines in farmland songbirds, but predation can be an additional factor which may or may not be important. 

However, it is more likely to be relevant today, given farming related habitat losses and the increase in magpies since the 1960s.

Magpies predate bird nests, they are much smaller than crows and are adept at moving through dense hedgerows where many farmland species nest. It has been shown that they can supress the productivity of breeding songbirds in those hedgerows in a modern farmland system.  If breeding success is a factor that limits population size for a particular bird species in a given area, and sometimes it will be, then magpies can cause that population to decline.  We can try and address these declines by changing farming, which may or may not work.

There is already a lot of good but expensive farming conservation practice in the UK today so, if we want to grow food and have farmland songbirds, it is unhelpful to brush over the potential effect of other factors.

Dr Rufus Sage
Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT)

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Comments

Recent events

at 23:26 on 18/06/2019 by Peter Wragg

It would seem to me that Chris Packham would be better involved in looking into the validity of the ownership of domestic cats, who kill more small birds and mammals than are shot legitimately by those who have some involvement in countryside stewardship.

Garden songbird especially Robins

at 16:54 on 18/06/2019 by Drm

Through last and dreary winter I had a strong population of songbirds in the garden. I kept the feeding station filled virtually every day. The robins were favourites because they knew I would be feeding them mealworms and would be there ready for me. I bought a telescope and tripod so that I could watch them through the hall window. All sorts of species came. The garden was full of coloured feathered magic. Then Mr. Packham struck. A few days later so did a pair of magpies. They were dashing in and out of thr fuschia bushes with a momentary wait on the lawn. Then out flew a pair of robins - the parent birds. The only birds I hear now are the harsh cackle of four magpies. The smaller birds are all gone. All that money I wasted on bird food just to feed, now, four magpies. Do I want to do it again next winter? NO! I found it heart braking to see the two little parent robins having to watch their brood being stolen, killed and eaten. So Mr. Packham see what you have done! A nest of robins dead. Someone who loved the experience completely put off all for two magpies. Now I will shoot them. What have you achieved? A year of nothing! Will you pay me for the cost of all that time and food? I don't think so. The best thing you can do Mr. Packham is to keep out of things that you obviously do not understand.

Magpies

at 16:27 on 18/06/2019 by Frank Stevens

When I was young and under the age of 14 years (end of the war ~ 1948) I saw plenty of Jays but no magpies. Now, over the years, I have seen a huge increase in magpie numbers and a matching decrease in Jays. I rather like Jays and detest magpies. I would like to see a decrease in magpie numbers and a stability in Jay numbers.

Magpies

at 13:34 on 18/06/2019 by David Phillips

I am an allotment holder who over the years have enjoyed robins, blackbirds, wrens etc, now have only magpies. Perhaps Chis Packham cold offer some advice on this situation?

Packham the hypocrite

at 11:12 on 18/06/2019 by Paul Bowman

Packham the hypocrite. Chris Packham has revealed that he is in favour of culling animals that pose a threat to species lower down the food chain when there are no natural predators. In an interview with the Radio Times ahead of a new series of Springwatch, the naturalist said that, while opposing various culling programmes he regards as ineffective, there are times when it is appropriate to selectively kill animals. As in the case of deer, which are routinely culled in the UK and which, the scientific evidence shows, are hurting nightingale populations by damaging the understorey, or shrub layer, of the trees that they nest in, he said. “Overgrazing by deer is driving the decline in nightingales. Since we have no large predators – no lynx, no wolf, no bear – we have no choice in the UK but to manage our deer population otherwise we’ll lose nightingales,” he said. “Scientifically informed culling is unfortunately an artefact of our lives. If we want to preserve a rich mosaic of species and habitats, we have to accept that,” he continued. He is aware that some people may be surprised by his qualified support of culling after hit the headlines last month for his opposition to shooting 16 types of birds, such as crows, pigeons and magpies, which advocates say amounts to necessary culling, in part to protect the nests of small birds. “All the scientific studies show there is no relationship between an abundance of magpies and sparrowhawks, for instance, with a decline in songbirds. The decline in small birds is due to the way that we manage our landscape,” he said. “[But] I have never been opposed to culling, and I’ve never been opposed to shooting. The shooting that I am opposed to is the illegal persecution of birds of prey and the unsustainable shooting of endangered species such as woodcock and snipe which are declining rapidly,” he said. https://inews.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR2YMC6r6WjPQEJxY31_QzGAp89ssoanYIr3D-v5Cw__xe9JIWj_LtHXBBM

Magpies

at 9:29 on 17/06/2019 by Paul Cox

I am certainly not in the shooting lobby at all but Mr Packham may need to qualify his statements. The impact of magpie predation varies i would say depending on location. I have both Urban and rural properties and in Urban home Magpie numbers are very very high compared to overall songbird numbers and surely must have significant impact on overall song bird numbers surviving on a thread already as breeding population. Yes without doubt loss of habitat in Urban areas is also fundamental driver as nesting and habitat reduces along with natural food sources. Though artificial bird feeding has helped some songbird populations survive winters and food shortages. Numbers have also increased in my Herefordshire home but culling does take place both legally and illegally as is the norm it appears in countryside regratabily. After being resident in countryside for 15 years now i see the lack of bio -diversity in the intensively farmed fields and loss of insects life at the core of overall songbird numbers decline. It may be unpalatable fact for elements of farming community and yes general public who want plentiful food but current intensive farming practices. create enviroment for decline. Until both general public goverments and farming community act together the overall decline will increase shooting magpies solely to protect songbird numbers will at best help arrest this decline particulary in Urban areas as a tactical measure only ....

Jackdaws.

at 16:21 on 13/06/2019 by Jean Witt

It's the same with Jackdaws. They get into open buildings for animal feed our sparrows have gone, starlings are still trying to nest but the young are seen being taken, robins are rarely seen. Almost all our small birds have disappeared. No sign of any ground nesting birds only jackdaws sweeping the fields. The sky is black with them sometimes. We've never seen so many in the last 60 years. Do we have to wait until they have eaten up and gone of their own accord? Celebrities....hmmm....

Magpies .

at 9:21 on 13/06/2019 by David McKenzie .

There has been a big increase in the magpie population in the last few years causing an I balance in their favour . Mr Packham is far from being a silly man and I believe he is using the same trick as a hypnotist suggesting sentences and feeding words to the public through the bbc brainwashing the general public into believing his untruths . As I said he is not a silly man so he must have a very important reason for this as the countryside will very soon be a very different place to be going down his route .

Increase in Magpie Population in Rural areas.

at 8:19 on 13/06/2019 by Harry Wilkinson

Dear sir or Madam, Been an avid Gardener and been outdoors quite a lot I have noticed the number of magpies around my garden has vastly increased. Once upon a time I would see one maybe two at the most , now it’s more like five six and seven. Just yesterday I watched one magpie tear out a goldfinches best in my neighbours garden and carry off the young. Is the increase down to intensive farming.? Quite a lot of people round me feeding birds even through the summer. Regards Harry Wilkinson.

Magpie predation on song birds

at 7:01 on 13/06/2019 by owen williams

It is interesting to note that the authors of this paper state that they used two sets of data CBS - lasting covering 34 years and BBS - covering 10 years. They recognised that the CBS data covered by the longer period showed much stronger evidence of predator effect than the much shorter BBS data. In his rush to conflate an argument against the control of predators to aid recovery of declining species Chris Packham has, either not read the paper fully, or decided to disregard this important fact.

Magpies etc

at 22:58 on 12/06/2019 by Rudolf Pilsel

The problem has arisen by making aMr Packham a "celebrity" which gives the public the misapprehension that his views are some how more valid than those with real scientific expertise. Magpies are s problem and need controlling since they predate heavily on songbirds. If you want the latter you must control the former.

Magpie numbers

at 20:56 on 12/06/2019 by Simon kibble

Whilst we take in information from the media on all things in life there always seems to be inaccuracies and untruths being spoken by so called naturalists as in the case of Chris Packham . My own life's accounts of what I have seen with my own eyes are a long way away from what Mr Packham quotes . To have control on magpies brings about a greater sucess for our garden birds and those of our countryside too. Nest plundering of eggs and chicks and fledglings taken once leaving the nest by magpies and crows are both contributory to decline . FACT No room for discussion FACT. Dare I mention CATS .

Magpie predation

at 17:47 on 12/06/2019 by Val Smith

Over the years I have with five sparrow terraces managed to raise a small colony of house sparrows. The magpies sit on the roof and take the sparrows as they fledge. I have also witnessed them taking adult goldfinches and sitting on the lamp post outside. It is a nature reserve across the road and the magpies sit in the oak trees and take the baby black birds and thrushes as they call to be fed. I can see our song bird population being hit severely in the furure.

Magpies

at 12:26 on 12/06/2019 by Bob Cook

Some years ago a late friend and I became concerned at the serious decline in songbird numbers in our gardens and surrounding farmland. my friend purchased a Larsen Trap. in the first season he caught well in excess of 100 Magpies and between us we kept up this number for 5or6 years. After my friend died, farmer who had borrowed the trap a few times and lives between us took on the trap and continued catching. Up until the recent ban we were catching 20 or 30 each year between us .We now enjoy a huge increase in songbird numbers. As a matter of interest I have a lot of blackbirds in my garden and they regularly nest in the hedge and on the top of boxes etc. under the eaves of a large shed. The magpies seem to know when the young blackbirds are about to leave the nest and raid them in . a group. they give themselves away with their distinctive, harsh call. If I am around at the time , then, in the past I have been able to deal with them. I just hope that by the time this year's young are about to leave I will be able to legally deal with them

Magpies

at 10:58 on 12/06/2019 by Alec waller

I am 76years old come from a family of gamekeeper s .there is not a lot of us left.now we used to be paid 4pence for a pair of wings of magpies jays crows by the fire and feather.as there is not many farms have gamekeeper s.so it left to jest a few .to trying to keep these under control.it my hobby know with over 700 bird boxes about.and when I visit my boxes and find them dead in the box.nowing that the parent birds by magpies or jays it is so hart braking.

Wildlife "expert" Chris Packham - magpies.

at 9:57 on 12/06/2019 by Tom Cook

Cosmetic Conservation designed to sell to the uninformed via television will do nothing to save songbirds or any other species under pressure. In the meantime practical hardworking countrymen will continue the dedicated daily task of genuine conservation to protect and encourage these species for the future benefit of all mankind.

Magpies

at 9:16 on 12/06/2019 by Robert Shaw

It appears that Chris Packham in his careful avoidance of scientific evidence and commenting only on one side of an argument, could well be instrumental in contributing to the decline of songbirds in favour of predators.

Next raids

at 0:14 on 12/06/2019 by Sam Cresswell

With out looking up graph surveys on magpie population, I notice a huge in crease in the magpie numbers since the sixties! This year I have seen three song bird nest raided by magpies. So how many thousands more have been raided by these birds, so much for saving the rare song birds Mr Packham😟😭

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