Local community gets behind campaign to help New Forest’s rare birds

Local community gets behind campaign to help New Forest’s rare birds - New Forest National Park Authority

(image: New Forest National Park Authority)

Joint press release with Forestry England

Groups from across the local community are supporting efforts to help ensure the survival of rare ground nesting birds in the New Forest this spring and summer. With growing public awareness of the plight of these vulnerable birds it is hoped that many more people using the Forest will help them by taking a few simple measures.

The New Forest National Park is a Special Protection Area for Birds and an important breeding location for endangered ground nesting birds such as the lapwing, nightjar and curlew. Under pressure in many parts of the UK due to habitat loss and disturbance by people, helping them breed successfully in the New Forest is critical to their survival.

New Forest Dog Owners Group, the British Horse Society, New Forest Cycle Working Group, PEDALL New Forest Inclusive Cycling, and New Forest Access Forum are among many local groups who are getting behind efforts to support these birds by sharing tips and advice on how best to enjoy the Forest during the breeding season.

Heather Gould, Chair of New Forest Dog Owners Group, said: “The New Forest is a really special place for bird life. It is really simple for everyone who spends time here to help protect them by obeying the signs which are put out. We’d advise all dog walkers to avoid the protected heathlands if they can walk elsewhere during the nesting season. They should always stay on the main tracks in sensitive areas.”

Unlike most birds, ground nesting birds build nests and raise their young on the Forest floor. They come into the New Forest to breed from early spring until late summer attracted by the mix of bogs, wetlands, and open heathlands with many returning to the same nesting spot every year. The area is a key location for many species including the Dartford warbler with around a third of the British breeding population found here.

People are being asked to join the effort to increase the successful hatching rates of these special birds by taking a few, simple measures when out and about in the New Forest during the breeding season.