The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has re-evaluated the importance of gardens to British birds and the results are staggering.
The
BTO have analysed the results of a garden bird breeding survey over some 6,000 gardens. They generally found that previous estimates of the numbers of birds breeding in gardens were far too low. They now estimate that nationally some 20 million pairs of birds breed in gardens. Furthermore they believe that if more people made an effort to accommodate birds in their gardens, that figure could rise to 30 million pairs. Given that there are estimated to be only 60 million pairs of all species nesting in Britain, it is clear that gardens have become a phenomenally important habitat for our native birds.
David Glue, the BTO's garden bird expert, said: "Gardens are no longer a Cinderella habitat" and he added "they need to be considered as top places for birds, both in terms of quality and quantity."
