The melodious song of the blackbird is widely acknowledged as being one of the best and most loved all of the UK's songbirds and plays a leading role in the outdoor soundtrack to spring and summer.
Now though scientists are concerned that the blackbird's song is becoming increasingly absent from green spaces across Greater London and southern England as the numbers of blackbirds plummet.
The decline of the blackbird is being linked to the recent appearance of a mosquito-borne virus which was first detected in England in 2020.
The Usutu virus was first identified in South Africa which can be fatal to blackbirds and is now thought to be spreading across south-east England.
The virus has been present in mainland Europe for around three decades and its spread has been linked to the deepening climate crisis as native UK mosquitoes can transmit the virus during periods of hot weather.
How you can help
To better understand the spread of the virus and what the potential impacts might be on the UK’s blackbirds, researchers from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) are now asking the public for their help by taking part in a survey of blackbirds.
The BTO is keen to see if anything similar to the loss of blackbirds in London and the south east is happening elsewhere and how this compares to smaller urban and rural areas.
"Blackbird numbers have been noted to be decreasing in Greater London for some time. However, from 2020 they started declining more strongly, which coincided with the detection of Usutu virus, which can be fatal for these familiar birds,” says Hugh Hanmer, senior research ecologist with the BTO.
“This survey seeks to understand why this change is happening and if it is linked to the spread of Usutu by better understanding how blackbirds use our gardens.”
Last year the BTO launched a pioneering survey to map the rate of decline in London’s blackbirds and to see whether similar population slumps were occurring elsewhere across the UK.
Initial results from that first year revealed a north-south divide with signs that blackbirds are doing better in the north of England while they continue to struggle in London.
Researchers from the BTO are hoping to encourage more members of the public to get involved in the latest survey, especially in larger towns and cities across the UK so that they can try to identify any further significant changes in the population of blackbirds.
The BTO is asking for anyone with access to a garden to take part in the survey which runs from Sunday 13 April until September: sign up to the online blackbird survey.
Main image: blackbird male. Credit: Philip Croft, BTO
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