Packham on song

Chris Packham is right – we should all challenge the media to get their facts right (December 2014). I have recently complained to the new Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) about some headlines regarding spiders in the Daily Star. IPSO upheld one complaint, and the Star printed a correction. Someone from IPSO told me that if a journalist or publication is constantly found to be flouting the rules then real action will be taken, and he encouraged me to complain every time. So I ask all naturalists to follow suit and make their voices heard. With Chris Packham bemoaning the lack of knowledge of common species among young people and the general population in your January issue, it is ironic that an error concerning two UK birds should have crept in. In the map illustrating the ‘Understand your garden birds’ feature, two of the ‘British’ birds have been illustrated as American species. The nuthatch is a red-breasted nuthatch, and the sparrow a chipping (not house) sparrow.

I really thought that this might be a festive ‘Spot the deliberate mistake’ competition, and scoured the page for confirmation – but no. I recently witnessed evidence supporting Chris Packham’s complaints of ignorance. I was chatting to an Australian customer in the shop where I work, who told me that one of his favourite birds was the kookaburra. A 21-year-old junior assistant, standing next to me, was puzzled by this and inquired what a kookaburra was. I was mildly surprised, but I explained to her that the kookaburra was the world’s largest species of kingfisher. She then asked me what a kingfisher was, because she had no idea!

Editor Matt Swaine says: No, it wasn’t a competition I’m afraid. The final illustration arrived too late to change. We apologise to all UK sparrows and nuthatches!