Covariation in urban birds providing cultural services or disservices and people.

Some bird species provide cultural services, being aesthetically pleasing and having behaviours that people find interesting to watch. Others provide disservices (e.g. gulls, pigeons and corvids) negative for well-being. By documenting how the abundance and richness of species in these two groups correlates with human population density it was apparent that socio-economically deprived areas support low ratios of birds to people, particularly of cultural service species. These results inform management of green space, and provision of feeding and nesting sites, to promote positive interactions between birds and people within urbanised landscapes.

Nestboxes: Your Complete Guide

Written by Dave Cromack and drawing on the BTO's expertise, this new book provides the perfect guide to building, erecting and monitoring nestboxes for a broad range of bird species.It includes:Step-by-step illustrated instructions for constructing proven nestbox designsProfiles of garden bird species that regularly use nestboxesBox designs for less common garden visitorsPractical advice on the best positions for your nestboxesHow to protect nesting birds from cats and other predatorsThe best materials and tools to useTips on repairing and preserving nestboxesAdvice on providing refuges for Hedgehogs and other garden animalsPublished by BTO Services Ltd with the support of Jacobi Jayne & Company.

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Health hazards to wild birds and risk factors associated with anthropogenic food provisioning

Work on emerging infectious diseases and garden birds in the UK has been supported by citizen science projects, most notably Garden BirdWatch, Garden Wildlife Health and the Garden Bird Health Initiative – the latter now superseded by Garden Wildlife Health. Through these schemes, researchers have been able to carry out national surveillance of emerging diseases, including finch trichomonosis, Paridae pox and passerine salmonellosis. This paper, part of a special issue of Philosophical Transactions focusing on wildlife disease issues, reviews the work that has been carried out on these diseases over the past 25 years. It also takes a look at the occurrence of mycotoxin contamination of food residues in bird feeders, which also pose a risk to the health of wild birds.

Can climate matching predict the current and future climatic suitability of the UK for the establishment of non-native birds?

Currently non-native species are being introduced to countries at an unprecedented rate. These species can have severe detrimental effects on native biodiversity, human health and the economy. Due to population growth, increases in trade and tourism and global warming the likelihood of non-native species arriving and establishing in the UK will be higher in the future. A new study by BTO investigates whether it is possible to predict which non-native species are likely to establish in the UK based on the climate in their native range, thereby enabling early preventative action to be taken.

Flowers of the Brecks Part One: Heath & Grassland

The Brecks Guides provide an affordable and informative introduction to the wildlife of the area. Pocket-sized, they are the ideal companions for a day out in the countryside.

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