Celebrate National Tree Week with a look at three remarkable woodland birds

Golden leaves fall gently to the woodland floor – creating a firework display of colours. This is the spectacular scene that greets visitors to woodlands across the country as autumn turns to winter. More specifically, woodlands made up of flat-leaved, needle-less trees that usually lose their leaves over winter. Such woodlands are known as ‘broadleaved woodlands’ and they’re special places, supporting some fascinating wildlife. This ‘National Tree Week’, 23 November to 1 December, let’s head down to the woods to get to know some of the special bird species that call our woodlands home.  

You can find broadleaved woodlands right across the UK, from the lowlands to the uplands and from majestic Beech woods to temperate rainforests – rare, moss- and lichen-covered woodlands in the western reaches of the UK.  

There’s a great diversity of woodland types out there but you might be surprised to discover that the UK has one of the lowest levels of woodland cover in Europe and what we do have is often found in isolated pockets.  

Woodland bird populations have declined by 35% in the UK since 1970 and the three species we’re going to meet here are all in trouble – but there’s hope, we’re working with others to help understand why they are struggling and what we can do to help them recover. 

The Hawfinch is the UK’s largest finch. Adults have a large bill, rusty brown plumage and a white-tipped tail. Males have beautiful iridescent blue wing panels. Their powerful bill is used to crack the hard shells of tree seeds – and it can really pack a punch, easily crushing a cherry stone. They spend a lot of their time high up in the treetops but will come down to the ground to feed too, for example on fallen seed.  

Hawfinches prefer well-wooded landscapes with mature broadleaved trees. During the winter months, they become more numerous and widespread as resident birds are joined by Hawfinches that fly in from northern Europe to escape the harsh winter weather.  

Sadly, the number of Hawfinches breeding in the UK has declined in recent decades and there has been a dramatic 76% reduction in their range between 1968-72 and 2007-11. Today breeding Hawfinches are largely confined to just a few core areas in England and Wales. The reasons for Hawfinch declines are not fully understood, but changes in tree species, distribution and management of woodlands across the landscape could be playing a part. These birds are hard to survey – they spend a lot of time up in the canopy, however, with downturns in both population and range, it’s important for us to understand the underlying causes and what we might do to help them.  

From the largest finch to the smallest woodpecker, we turn our attention to the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, another species that relies on our broadleaved woodlands.  

This little woodpecker is about the size of a House Sparrow – tiny! Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers have black and white feathers and the males have a bright red cap. Like Hawfinches, they spend a lot of time up in the tree canopy. They peck into dead or rotten wood to get to the invertebrates inside, although they will also take insects from the surface of bark or leaves. They dig out nest holes in dead or decaying wood, nesting anywhere between head-height and often much higher. 

Woodland is really important for Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers – they feed and nest in trees. They need landscapes that have a good coverage of broadleaved woodland and trees, such as oak, birch and alder.  

While the ‘lesser’ in their name refers to their size in comparison with the Great Spotted Woodpecker, they are becoming rarer and people are seeing them less often so they are also ‘lesser-spotted’.  

Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers have declined rapidly since around 1980 and they are now missing from many places where they were once found. Southern-central England and Wales is now their main stronghold. However, like Hawfinches, they are really hard to survey, and we need a better idea of their distribution and numbers. We are hoping to organise a dedicated national survey to find out where they are holding on best and where to target conservation efforts. 

Why are they declining? What challenges do they face? These are the questions that RSPB Conservation Scientists along with our research partners have been working hard to answer. The population decline of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers in the UK appears to be linked to chicks not surviving to adulthood, specifically chicks not having enough food.  

Working out why a species is declining is just the first step. Our conservation work is now focused on identifying how to ensure that Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers have enough food to successfully raise their chicks. Whether that’s down to mature trees, wetter habitat conditions in woodlands or another factor, our work will continue to pinpoint how conservation work can be targeted to help Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers.  

Visit a mature broadleaved woodland in late spring or summer and you might come across the Spotted Flycatcher. They too are about the size of a House Sparrow and as their name suggests, they catch flies and other invertebrates, perching on branches to observe their prey before snapping it from the air. If you’re lucky you might even be able to hear the snap of their beak as they grab a tasty morsel. Their name also suggests they are spotted, which is true for young birds, but the adults have more streaky patterning in brown and white. 

Mature broadleaved woodlands are particularly important for Spotted Flycatchers but they can also be found in villages, frequenting graveyards and mature gardens. And they can be found right across the UK.  

You’ll only find Spotted Flycatchers here in spring and summer. These birds are migratory – they travel thousands of kilometres ever year, spending our winter months in Southern Africa. Angola and Namibia are key spots for Spotted Flycatchers.  

As is true for the other species here, Spotted Flycatcher numbers have declined in the UK in recent decades. Between 1995 and 2022, the population fell by almost 70%. The reason for the decline is thought to be linked to not enough chicks successfully fledging the nest, though the causes for this are still unclear.  

Our work is focussed on understanding what factors across their lifecycle are playing a part in these declines. We’ve tracked birds to Africa, using tiny geolocators, to look at the routes they take and whether there are any important challenges on their journeys or in their wintering habitats. We’ve also carried out research in the UK to learn more about their breeding season habits and student projects have contributed to the information that we are gathering on the species. A PhD study at the University of Lancaster is currently  investigating the importance of riverside habitats in supporting healthy Spotted Flycatcher populations and how it affects nest success, chick diet and insect availability. We’re in touch with the team there to support this important work.  

Piecing together the puzzle of why a species is declining is the first step in the journey to helping them recover. The work that we and others are undertaking is helping to shape how we can direct conservation action for these special woodland birds.  

Protecting our broadleaved woodlands is so important for the birds and other wildlife that use them as a source of food, shelter and places to raise their young.  

Helping woodland wildlife can involve carefully managing the woodland structure, tackling invasive non-native plant species and diseases, as well as planting new trees and reconnecting patches of isolated woodland. While woodland creation offers a big opportunity to help tackle climate change and create new habitats, it is important to make sure that this is done in the right manner and in the right places.  

Information on how to manage woodlands for wildlife, including for species in your own part of the country via an interactive map, can be found on the Woodland Wildlife Toolkit website, which was developed by a partnership of organisations to benefit woodland birds and other wildlife. 

Much of the scientific research work for these species is made possible by partnerships and institutions, including: Natural England through the Action for Birds in England partnership, University of Cardiff, Hawfinch Study Group and the Woodpecker Network.  

Thanks to our members and supporters we are able to continue to work to secure the future of species under threat – whether that’s the woodland birds we’ve talked about here, or species on farmland on the coast, or much further afield in the UK Overseas Territories and across the world. Thank you for your support.  

Woodlands are fantastic places to visit at any time of year – if you can, do get out and explore your local woodland. Birds like Hawfinches and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are increasingly rare so if you do spot them, we’d love it if you would record your sightings via Birdtrack so that we can understand more about them.