PROGRAMME for 2025
Upcoming Meetings
Thursday 23 October—A Quietening of the Woods | The Decline of Woodland Birds
Location: Linnean Society of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BF, UK
Time: 18.00- 20.00
This is our annual partnership event with the Linnean Society
Dr Richard Broughton will explore the story of Marsh Tits and Willow Tits as sentinels of woodland habitats and the issues they are facing.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR TICKET.
This is an in-person event ONLY. There is no live stream.
(The talk will be followed by a drinks reception in the Linnean Society’s historic library, where a paid bar will be available.)
Europe’s forest ecosystems are under enormous pressure from habitat loss, mismanagement, invasive species and climate change, leading to rapid biodiversity loss. This is especially acute in Britain, where severe declines of woodland birds are of major conservation concern.
Several woodland birds have already become extinct in Britain, and others are quickly heading that way, quietening our familiar soundscapes. Two of the fastest declining woodland birds are the Marsh Tit and Willow Tit, which are small, closely-related residents from the chickadee family. Formerly common and widespread, British Marsh Tits have declined by 80% and Willow Tits by 96% since the 1960s. The exact causes of their decline seem to differ between the two species, and they are still not fully understood. Dr Richard Broughton will explore the story of Marsh Tits and Willow Tits as sentinels of woodland habitats and the issues they are facing.
Dr Richard K Broughton is a research ecologist specialising in forests, farmlands and particularly birds. He completed a PhD on Marsh Tit ecology, is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Bird Study and author of a Poyser monograph (2025), The Marsh Tit and the Willow Tit.
