What's driving the marsh tit decline?: studies in Cambridgeshire and beyond

The Marsh Tit is one of several British woodland birds to have suffered a serious population decline in recent decades. Marsh Tit abundance has fallen by almost three-quarters since the 1960s and its range has contracted by a fifth, placing it on the UK’s Red List. Extensive research over the last decade has built upon earlier studies to greatly increase the understanding of Marsh Tit behaviour and habitat requirements, with valuable context provided from elsewhere in Europe. This indicates that the population decline in Britain has occurred alongside an apparent improvement in habitat quality, and despite breeding success remaining high. Attention has now focussed on a combination of reduced survival and a loss of woodland connectivity as a plausible mechanism for the decline, although work is ongoing to fully understand how these factors might interact. With a relentless downward population trend and no sign of a recovery, measures are suggested which may help conserve remaining populations.