Surveys carried out by ecology matters this spring showed that ring ouzels are continuing to decline across Wales. The survey targetted sites last surveyed in a national survey in 1999. Results show that ouzels have declined across Wales and are now absent from many areas. Some sites still hold reasonable numbers, manily in North wales, but even here numbers are dowen since the 1999 survey.

Reasons for declines are not known. Climate change, habitat change in the breeding grounds and in the wintering grounds and hunting during migration have all been raised as possible reasons. We will be analysing our results further to see if we can detect any patterns in the declines. Meanwhile, ecology matters staff will once again be carrying out work on the wintering grounds in the Moroccan Atlas mountains this winter.

Many thanks to all the volunteers across Wales who helped with the survey, and we will be publishing the full results before long.