Bird ringing

Biodiversity at Rawcliffe Bridge

Bird ringing is a simple and effective way to gather information about the movement, survival and productivity of birds using the landscape, which includes urban and farmland areas.

BASF have been working with local bird ringing experts at Rawcliffe Bridge to monitor the birds visiting the farm from 2015 onwards, with the data then being supplied into the British and Irish Ringing Scheme, organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

Birds caught at the farm for the first time have a lightweight uniquely numbered metal ring placed around one of their legs, which helps to identify where the bird has come from when it is re-caught, sometimes back at Rawcliffe Bridge, in other cases, further away in the country or in most cases, not re-caught at all.

There are several reasons for this. In some cases, birds have a very local interest, moving less than 2km from their original ringing location. Other birds are part of the annual cycle of migration and travel many hundreds and sometime thousands of miles to and from Rawcliffe Bridge, using farmland and gardens as they go to provide them with food, shelter and places to breed.

To put the birds rung at Rawcliffe Bridge into perspective, for 2019, we ringed a total of 3586 birds on the farm, covering 62 species from owls to wagtails to tits and finches. Since we started ringing birds in 2015, we have rung over 14,883 birds which is an amazing number of birds using our farmland

Our ringing data shows clearly how healthy farmland that is producing local food also provides all the basic needs of both juvenile and adult birds visiting Rawcliffe Bridge

*Rung at Rawcliffe Bridge: When the bird is first rung at Rawcliffe Bridge and re-caught somewhere else

*Found at Rawcliffe Bridge: When the bird is caught at Rawcliffe Bridge already with a numbered ring attached

Species Name: Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

Family: Owls

Habitat: Farmland, Grassland, Marine and intertidal Wetland

Diet: Mice, Voles, Shrews and some larger mammals and small birds

UK Conservation Status: Green

Barn Owls rung at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 1

Date Range: 30/06/2018 - 13/11/2018

Longest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 136 days

Further distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 16km

Shortest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 136 days

Shortest distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 16km

Species Name: Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)

Habitat: Woodland, Farmland, Urban and Suburban

Diet: Insects, Caterpillars, seeds and nuts

Family: Tits

UK conservation status: Green

Blue Tits found at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 1

Date Range: 12/05/2014 - 08/08/2015

Longest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 453 days

Further distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 43km

Shortest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 453 days

Shortest distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 43km

Species Name: Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

Habitat: Woodland, Farmland, Grassland, Heathland and Upland

Diet: Small mammals, birds and carrion

Family: Kites, Hawks and Eagles

UK conservation status: Green

Buzzards rung at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 1

Date Range: 11/01/2016 - 21/12/2018

Longest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 1075 days

Further distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 6km

Shortest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 1075 days

Shortest distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 6km


Species Name: Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

Habitat: Farmland, Urban and Suburban

Diet: Seeds and insects (in summer)

Family: Finches

UK conservation status: Green

Goldfinch rung at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 7

Date Range: 25/11/2017- 30/03/2019

Longest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 577 days

Further distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 2006 km

Shortest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 13 days

Shortest distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 26 km

Goldfinch found at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 3

Date Range: 31/12/2015 - 19/03/2019

Longest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 1174 days

Further distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 372km

Shortest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 12 days

Shortest distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 69km



Species Name: Great Tit (Parus major)

Habitat: Woodland, Farmland, Urban and Suburban

Diet: Insects, seeds and nuts

Family: Tits

UK conservation status: Green

Great Tit found at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 3

Date Range: 22/09/2012 - 30/10/2017

Longest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 1864 days

Further distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 68km

Shortest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 33 days

Shortest distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 2km

Species name: Greenfinch (Chloris chloris)

Habitat: Woodland, Farmland, Urban and Suburban

Diet: Seeds and Insects

Family: Finches

UK conservation status: Green

Greenfinch rung at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 12

Date Range: 14/10/2016 - 11/06/2019

Longest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 963 days

Further distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 49 km

Shortest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 33 days

Shortest distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 3 km

Greenfinch found at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 4

Date Range: 05/11/2016 - 30/12/2017

Longest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 212 days

Further distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 76 km

Shortest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 46 days

Shortest distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 16 km




Species name: Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Habitat: Farmland, Grassland, Heathland, Urban and Suburban

Diet: Small mammals and birds, worms and insects

Family: Falcons

UK conservation status: Amber

Kestrel rung at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 1

Date Range: 17/06/2017 - 10/08/2017

Longest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 54 days

Further distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 39 km

Shortest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 54 days

Shortest distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 39 km

Species name: Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis cabaret)

Habitat: Woodland, Farmland, Heathland, Wetland, Urban and Suburban

Diet: Seeds (particularly of birch and alder), plants (like willowherb and sorrel) - but they also visit bird feeders

Family: Finches

UK conservation status: Red

Lesser Redpoll rung at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 2

Date Range: 30/10/2017 - 30/03/2019

Longest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 516 days

Further distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 267 km

Shortest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 97 days

Shortest distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 45 km

Lesser Redpoll found at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 7

Date Range: 04/10/2015 - 05/02/2019

Longest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 483 days

Further distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 391 km

Shortest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 4 days

Shortest distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 25 km

Species name: Linnet (Linaria cannabina)

Habitat: Farmland, Grassland, Heathland, Urban and Suburban

Diet: Seeds and Insects

Family: Finches

UK conservation status: Red

Linnet found at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 1

Date Range: 02/07/2017 - 30/09/2017

Longest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 90 days

Further distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 21 km

Shortest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 90 days

Shortest distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 21 km

Species name: Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)

Habitat: Farmland, Grassland, Heathland, Wetland, Marine and intertidal Upland

Diet: Insects (Flies, Beetles and Moths) and Spiders

Family: Pipits and Wagtails

UK conservation status: Amber

Meadow Pipit found at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 2

Date Range: 17/09/2017 - 02/12/2017

Longest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 63 days

Further distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 247 km

Shortest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 9 days

Shortest distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 100 km

Species name: Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)

Habitat: Woodland, Farmland, Grassland, Heathland, Urban and Suburban

Diet: Worms, Slugs, Insects and Berries

Family: Thrushes

UK conservation status: Red

Mislte Thrush rung at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 1

Date Range: 29/06/2019 - 03/07/2019

Longest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 4 days

Further distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 3 km

Shortest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 4 days

Shortest distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 3 km

Species name: Redwing (Turdus iliacus)

Habitat: Woodland, Farmland, Grassland, Urban and Suburban

Diet: Berries and Worms

Family: Thrushes

UK conservation status: Red

Redwing found at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 1

Date Range: 26/11/2016 - 04/12/2018

Longest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 738 days

Further distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 101 km

Shortest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 738 days

Shortest distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 101 km

Species name: Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)

Habitat: Farmland, Grassland, Wetland, Urban and Suburban

Diet: Seeds and Insects

Family: Buntings

UK conservation status: Amber

Reed Bunting rung at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 2

Date Range: 15/03/2017 - 01/05/2019

Longest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 676 days

Further distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 164 km

Shortest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 586 days

Shortest distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 41 km

Reed Bunting found at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 1

Date Range: 26/10/2017 - 27/02/2019

Longest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 489 days

Further distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 32 km

Shortest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 489 days

Shortest distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 32 km

Reed Bunting rung at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 2

Date Range: 15/03/2017 - 01/05/2019

Longest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 676 days

Further distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 164 km

Shortest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 586 days

Shortest distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 41 km

Species name: Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)

Habitat: Farmland, Wetland, Urban and Suburban

Diet: Insects (Berries in Autumn)

Family: Warblers

UK conservation status: Green

Reed Warbler found at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 1

Date Range: 13/08/2017 - 12/09/2017

Longest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 30 days

Further distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 77 km

Shortest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 30 days

Shortest distance travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 77 km

Species name: Siskin (Spinus spinus)

Habitat: Woodland, Urban and Suburban

Diet: Seeds (especially of conifers, alders and birch) and some Insects

Family: Finches

UK conservation status: Green

Siskin rung at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 1

Date Range: 20/02/2016 - 02/01/2019

Longest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 1047 days

Further distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 387 km

Shortest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 1047 days

Shortest distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 387 km

Species name: Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

Habitat: Farmland, Grassland, Heathland, Wetland, Urban and Suburban

Diet: Mainly small birds (but 120 different species have been recorded). Males can catch birds up to thrush size, but females, being bigger, can catch birds up to pigeon size. Some sparrowhawks catch bats.

Family: Kites, Hawks and Eagles

UK conservation status: Green

Sparrowhawk rung at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 2

Date Range: 27/03/2017 - 01/05/2019

Longest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 138 days

Further distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 23 km

Shortest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge:58 days

Shortest distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 3 km

Sparrowhawk found at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 1

Date Range: 14/12/2018 - 01/05/2019

Longest duration travelled to Rawcliffe Bridge: 138 days

Further distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 23 km

Shortest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 138 days

Shortest distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 3 km

Species name: Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)

Habitat: Woodland, Farmland, Urban and Suburban

Diet: Seeds and Insects

Family: Old World Sparrows

UK conservation status: Red

Tree Sparrow rung at Rawcliffe Bridge

Total number of birds in this group: 1

Date Range: 07/03/2017 - 29/05/2018

Longest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 448 days

Further distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 6 km

Shortest duration travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 448 days

Shortest distance travelled from Rawcliffe Bridge: 6 km

Rawcliffe Bridge

At first glance the Hinchliffe’s 350-acre farm at Rawcliffe Bridge near Goole in East Yorkshire looks like the efficient, productive arable farm that it is. But when you take a moment to look and listen, what is fascinating about this place is that you enter a vibrant world of diverse bird, insect and plant life; a balance between intensive farming and highly effective wildlife management.

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