Spotted flycatchers have declined by 87% in Britain since the 1970s due to changes in insect abundance and habitat quality along migration routes.
Spotted flycatcher welfare is affected by insect availability at breeding, staging and wintering sites. Insect-poor gardens and farmland increase the energy expenditure required to raise chicks successfully. Migration through drought-affected Sahel requires birds to maintain body condition across thousands of kilometres of challenging terrain. Individual birds breed less successfully in insect-poor environments and may arrive at wintering grounds in poor condition. Creating insect-rich habitat at breeding sites directly benefits individual spotted flycatcher welfare during the critical chick-rearing period.