This week offers a unique opportunity to celebrate and contribute to the conservation of our natural world. From World Migratory Bird Day to Endangered Species Day and Invasive Species (INNS) week, it's clear that our ecosystems face a multitude of challenges.
Thanks to technology, citizen science projects provide a powerful way for each of us to help. Today we are highlighting three key citizen science projects that empower you to make a difference and contribute to the conservation of birds and other species: Swift Mapper, Dawn Chorus, and INNS Mapper.
Tracking changes in bird populations with Swift Mapper and Dawn Chorus
The theme of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day on 10 May was “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities.” Swifts travel thousands of miles to breed in our towns, cities and countryside. These incredible birds are believed to pair for life and they meet up at the same nest site each spring – usually a gap under roof tiles or in the eaves of buildings. Between 1995 and 2022, the UK’s swift population declined by over 60% and one of the main reasons is thought to be the loss of swift nesting sites. Swift Mapper, a web-based mapping system and mobile app developed with the RSPB, was created to empower the general public to record where swifts are nesting, providing crucial information for their protection within the planning system, and helping identify opportunities for new nesting spaces.
The return of migratory birds also brings with it even more variety to the wonderful bird song we can enjoy each spring and summer. Dawn Chorus is a citizen science project set up by Biotopia, a German life sciences museum, with the aim of documenting bird diversity over time using sound recordings. By recording the early morning birdsong in your area – whether urban, suburban, or rural – you help us monitor the diversity and distribution of these returning species, providing insights into how they are using our shared spaces. This global project provides vital data on population changes that might indicate wider environmental issues affecting multiple species, including those that are already endangered.
Tackling the Invaders: Contributing to INNS Mapper During INNS Week
Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) pose a significant threat to our economy and native biodiversity, often outcompeting native species, altering habitats, and even introducing diseases. This Invasive Species Week, we highlight the important role of INNS Mapper – a free app and website for the reporting of sightings and the management of INNS in the UK and Ireland. INNS Mapper was built by a consortium of partners led by Yorkshire Water. The aim was to find a way to enable the widest range of people, including professional land managers and the general public, to record invasive species. Both the app and the website help citizen scientists to verify the data being collected by crowd sourcing verification of the photos submitted with records.
Become a Citizen Scientist: Your Contribution Matters
Whether you're reporting a swift nesting site, recording the dawn chorus, or identifying an invasive plant, your observations really do contribute valuable data that helps us protect birds, understand the challenges facing endangered species, and tackle the spread of invasive non-native species.
Get Involved Today
- Swift Mapper : Find out more and download Swift Mapper and explore other ways to help swifts on the RSPB website
- Dawn Chorus: Find out more about the Dawn Chorus project and download the app
- INNS Mapper: Report sightings of invasive species via the INNS Mapper website and download the free app.
Setting Up Your Own Citizen Science Project?
If you are looking for a data collection solution for your own citizen science project, get in touch - we'd love to help.