The political birder: Mark Avery
Taking part in the RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch is a fun and useful exercise for all birders, but it’s also a political act that will make politicians take note, says Mark Avery.
The annual RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch (BGBW) is a national institution, having come into being in 1979. Around half a million people spend an hour looking at birds in their gardens, local parks or at school. That’s quite a crowd – much higher than the total attendance at Premier League football (England and Scotland) for the same weekend. Does it include you? Or do ‘real’ birders consider BGBW beneath them?
The RSPB, understandably, tends to promote the BGBW to the public with the message that you don’t have to be an expert to take part, but that shouldn’t mean that if you can tell a Siberian Chiffchaff from an Iberian Chiffchaff that you shouldn’t spend that hour too, not least because participants in BGBW over the years have (reliably) recorded American Robin, Black-throated Thrush, Myrtle Warbler and Common Rosefinch.
It was my call, in my first year as RSPB Conservation Director in 2000, that BGBW should welcome adults too. That change might well comprise my most valuable contribution to the RSPB my 25 years working there, as BGBW participants are a potent source of new members, donors and supporters. You should rightly take a close look at all organisations’ citizen science projects to assess how much they are aimed at science and how much at making friends with the citizens.
First past the post
It tends to be forgotten that BGBW, with all its methodological snags, was actually ahead of the Common Birds Census in flagging up the declines of species such as House
Sparrow, Common Starling and Song Thrush as issues. To be fair, though, the world might not have taken so much notice of those declines if the CBC hadn’t confirmed them a while later. The increase in wintering Eurasian Blackcaps and of Red Kites and Ring-necked Parakeets all show up in BGBW data, while if it’s a Waxwing winter then BGBW records demonstrate that very clearly.
There are things to be learned here for birders and non-birders, and researchers and non-researchers, alike. BGBW has enough standardisation (consistent end of January date, consistent habitat coverage, record all species, record maximum numbers seen at any one time and so on) and a large enough uptake and geographic spread that it gives useful and interesting results – and gives them quickly. It’s not a flash monitoring scheme, but it still sets a useful benchmark for other citizen science projects. Half a million participants – I wish there were more – is clearly good publicity for the RSPB, but it’s also good publicity for nature. If you were to look for an index of public engagement with nature then participation in BGBW wouldn’t be a bad candidate and that is seen by politicians. If participation doubled that would be noticed too, as would any fall off in popularity.
Most years, my garden produces fewer than 20 species and the most interesting thing is whether the regular Eurasian Blackcap shows his face or not. Over the years I have done BGBW in the garden of 10 Downing Street (Goldfinch the best bird), of the US Ambassador in The Regent’s Park (few birds but great hot chocolate and marshmallows afterwards) and once I invited my Labour MP around to do BGBW at my place.
BGBW is a political act – you are doing a small and enjoyable thing which also highlights nature to decision-makers.
Whether you want to see a Blackbird, a Eurasian Blackcap or a Black-throated Thrush enjoy your BGBW! ■
✔ Do this in February
REMEMBER to send your records in! I sometimes forget.
❝Half a million participants is clearly good publicity for the RSPB, but it’s also good publicity for nature❞