Wildlife

Wild Ring Ouzel Upland Welfare

Ring ouzels are mountain-breeding thrushes that have declined severely due to changes in upland habitats and invertebrate prey availability.

Key Facts

Ring ouzel populations have declined by 46 percent since 1988 in the UK
They breed on steep rocky slopes and ravines in upland moorland above 300 metres
Declining soil invertebrate prey from overgrazing reduces chick survival rates
Competition with invasive grey squirrels may affect some woodland-adjacent populations
Climate change is shifting the invertebrate availability window relative to breeding season

Welfare Considerations

Ring ouzel chicks failing due to insufficient invertebrate prey die slowly from starvation over days. Adults forced to forage over increasingly large areas experience chronic energetic stress during breeding.

What You Can Do

Support upland moorland management programs that maintain diverse invertebrate communities
Donate to British Trust for Ornithology monitoring programs tracking ring ouzel populations
Advocate for sustainable upland grazing management that benefits ground-nesting birds