Wild Animal Welfare

Wild Redwing Advanced Welfare UK

Advanced redwing welfare monitoring reveals the specific habitat and food requirements that determine individual winter survival in UK landscapes.

Key Facts

Redwings form loose flocks that move rapidly between berry crops as they become depleted
Individual redwings lose condition rapidly during cold snaps when invertebrate prey is unavailable
Farmland with diverse hedgerow berry crops supports higher densities of wintering redwings
Supplementary fruit provision in gardens attracts and supports individual birds during cold periods
Climate change is affecting berry crop timing and availability in ways that affect redwing welfare

Welfare Considerations

Individual redwings spending winter in the UK depend on successive berry crops and mild weather for successful overwintering. Garden and farmland habitat that provides diverse, abundant berry resources through the winter directly benefits individual winter visitor welfare.

What You Can Do

Maintain diverse berry-bearing hedgerows and shrubs for redwing winter food
Provide supplementary windfall apples and soft fruit during cold winter spells
Report redwing flocks to BirdTrack citizen science monitoring