Upper Mersey Willow Tit project

The willow tit is the UK’s fastest declining resident bird species and in 2020 it was estimated that its numbers have dropped between 88-94% since 1970.  A 2016 Atlas of Breeding Birds survey estimated that only 120 breeding pairs reside in Greater Manchester, less than half the 1984 figure.  

Willow tits are in decline because of: 

• Low mobility across open landscapes – they depend on expansive patches of dense woody vegetation connected through hedgerows, young woodland and damp scrub. 

• Habitat fragmentation: Willow Tits are a sedentary species and won’t travel across open landscapes, preferring to keep to dense scrub or hedgerows . There has been a loss of connective habitat such as hedgerows and scrub margins.  

• Habitat degradation: Their preferred habitat of scrub is often seen as habitat of little ecological value and not worthy of conservation effort. Without intervention, these habitats mature over time and become unsuitable for Willow Tits.  

Recent work at Sale Water Park in Trafford has helped support willow tit populations at the site however there are limited records of the species beyond the Water Park.  Preliminary desk based habitat scoping indicates that numerous sites across Manchester and Stockport also have the potential to be enhanced or connected to support willow tits. These habitats offer significant opportunity to expand and enhance willow tit habitat corridors to support an increased and more diverse population.

We aim to build on our successful Sale Water Park project by enhancing the habitat for willow tits along the Upper Mersey Catchment through Trafford, Manchester and Stockport – sites including Chorlton Water Park, Fletcher Moss, Gately Cars, Abney Hall Park, Mersey Vale Nature Park and Reddish Vale Country Park.  The project will increase the resilience of Greater Manchester’s willow tit population, making it a key stronghold for this species there.   

We will achieve this through involving local volunteers - Coronavirus has had a detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of many people and the project provides a motivational and accessible conservation story to help us engage communities, particularly those from harder to reach groups.

Our project will cost approximately £90,000 over 20 months to employ a dedicated Project Officer and associated equipment and professional fees and will deliver the following outcomes:  

• 80 surveys to improve understanding of willow tit populations in Greater Manchester and contribute to local and national research. 

• 70 practical volunteering sessions to improve willow tit habitat (targeted habitat intervention based on survey results) with at least 8 sites improved/connected for willow tits across Trafford, Stockport and Manchester along the Upper Mersey Corridor.  

• At least 200 people engaged including: 

• young people who are seeking to gain skills for employment 

• people who have retired and want to improve their health and wellbeing 

• people who are unable to work for health or disability reasons  

• corporate volunteers who are looking to contribute to their local community