Bird Ringing at Foxglove Covert

The diverse habitats of the site mean that a variety of bird species is either resident or passing through on migration and bird ringing is one of the most important aspects of conservation on the reserve.

Hawfinch ringed at Foxglove Covert Most of the ringing is done with mist nets but there is also a Heligoland trap for use when mist netting is not possible. The site has some 70 different mist net rides, although only about 50 are used on a regular basis. The Field Centre ringing room was purpose built and offers a level of comfort and space rarely equalled at other sites.

In common with all other bird ringing sites, Foxglove Covert carries out its work under the auspices of The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) through whom each ringer must be licenced. The reserve is also a Constant Effort Site (CES). This effectively means that, in order to remove as many variables as possible, the same number of nets are erected in the same net rides on the same 12 days of the year for the same length of time. Because CES is always run in the summer months, ringing starts as early as 3am and continues for ten and a half hours.

Bird Ringing at Foxglove Covert

The diverse habitats of the site mean that a variety of bird species is either resident or passing through on migration and bird ringing is one of the most important aspects of conservation on the reserve.

Also In This Section