A new project by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) is underway to tag common snipe in three locations across the British Isles. The study aims to uncover where these elusive waders migrate to breed during the summer, while also allowing us to understand the reasons behind their decline and how best to support their conservation.
Researchers caught and tagged 20 birds in Cornwall, Ireland and eastern Scotland earlier this year, and will return to the same locations for the next two years to fit GPS tags to more birds each year. These are migrant birds that spend the winter in these locations.
This is the first UK study of its kind on snipe migration, and our pilot studies have already shown tagged birds travelling thousands of miles, arriving here from as far away as Russia, Iceland and Scandinavia.
Though once a familiar sight in our wetlands, the common snipe now faces growing challenges. Both migrant and breeding numbers have notably declined across the UK lowlands and in many parts of Europe. Historical changes in land use have been the main driver of the decline, with wet meadows being drained and wetland habitats being lost or degraded. Climate change may also be affecting their breeding and migration patterns.
Using 2-gram solar-powered tags, our scientists are now able to map migration routes, examine the habitat at breeding sites, and start to understand the pressures facing snipe. This knowledge is critical to halting their decline.
Bleddyn Thomas, GWCT Wetland Researcher, explains: “Tracking snipe will give us a new perspective on the incredible journeys these birds make and the places they choose to stop at along the way. More than that, it will reveal the proportion of resident and migrant snipe overwintering in the UK. This knowledge will help us identify where conservation actions are needed so we can focus our resources.
“As a quarry species, understanding the journey snipe take is essential for any hunting along their migration routes to be sustainable, and avoiding negative impacts on their breeding populations.
“We believe this is the first snipe migration study that has been carried out in the UK.”
During the winter, it is thought that Britain and Ireland support a large part of the Icelandic common snipe population, but the data from these tagged birds should be able give a clearer picture of where they return to for breeding.
The tagging is carried out under strict licence from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and according to welfare regulations.
You can play a role in helping to reveal the secrets of the snipe. In the run up to Christmas the GWCT is running a Snipe Appeal to raise funds for this vital project. By contributing, you could help fund the technology and expertise needed to reveal the hidden life of the common snipe and ensure they remain part of our wild world for generations to come.
Photo credit: Laurie Campbell
Notes to editors
The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust – providing research-led conservation for a thriving countryside. The GWCT is an independent wildlife conservation charity which has carried out scientific research into Britain’s game and wildlife since the 1930s. We advise farmers and landowners on improving wildlife habitats. We employ more than 60 post-doctoral scientists and other research staff with expertise in areas such as birds, insects, mammals, farming, fish and statistics. We undertake our own research as well as projects funded by contract and grant-aid from Government and private bodies. The Trust also has a dedicated professional advisory service to make sure that the results of its research are easily available to farmers, landowners, gamekeepers, and others delivering practical conservation.
For information, contact:
Eleanor Williams
Telephone: 07592 025476
Email: ewilliams@gwct.org.uk