BIRDERS ASKED TO TAKE PART IN NATIONAL GULL SURVEY

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is asking birders to help with its Winter Gull Survey (WinGs), which starts this autumn.The charity is trying to get to grips with the causes of population declines in the UK's breeding gulls and to monitor those that visit from further afield.   

In autumn and winter, gulls flock together to roost communally on lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries across the UK, in groups that can number many hundreds or even thousands of individuals. Understanding where these roosts occur, and the numbers of birds using them, is key to helping protect them.