SongBird Survival

SongBird Survival (SBS) is an independent, UK-wide, environmental bird charity that funds research into the decline in Britain's songbirds. It is a not-for-profit organisation supported by grants, subscriptions and donations, and a registered charity and company.

Governance

SongBird Survival is a non-profit organisation, constituted as a Charitable Company under the laws of England & Wales. The governing document is the Memorandum and Articles of Association. Under the amended Articles of Association, adopted in March 2023, SongBird Survival is run
by a Council of up to 15 persons elected by the membership. Council members are elected
for a 3-year term, renewable for a maximum of 3 terms.

History

Formed in 1996 as Songbird Survival Action Group, SongBird Survival was registered as a limited company on 26 September 2000. Shortly afterwards, in 2001, the organisation achieved charitable status. In 2006, SBS merged with the Scottish charity Save our Songbirds, founded in 1998 by John Baillie-Hamilton, 13th Earl of Haddington. In 2017 SongBird Survival launched the national awareness day: National Robin Day

Aims

SongBird Survival's objective is to improve, protect and preserve the population of song and other small birds for the benefit of national biodiversity and the public. It aims to achieve this by commissioning and funding scientific research, supporting the conservation and restoration or habitats, through public education and advocacy where changes in the law may be deemed necessary to protect songbirds.

Research

SongBird Survival funds scientific research into the reasons why songbird numbers are declining in the UK. By doing so, the charity aims to advance the science of ornithology, and in particular the study of song and other small birds, as well as contribute to the national evidence base by researching areas where scientific evidence is currently sparse, inadequate or lacking.

SongBird Survival commissions research to add to the evidence base and identify the drivers behind continued songbird declines. Its research to date has encompassed a range of issues, spanning countryside management, population ecology, complex predator-prey dynamics, pesticides, and predator control, including bringing together previously unpublished research conducted at farms across Britain.

Campaigns

SongBird Survival aims to provide information and guidance to the public on how they can take
action to preserve and protect songbirds.
In 2022 their #FriendsNot Food campaign aimed to provide practical solutions to reduce
the impact of cats hunting based on the findings of the University of Exeter Research Study.

In 2024, SongBird Survival launched the “Get EduCATed campaign aiming
to Increase awareness among cat owners of songbird decline and show
scientifically proven ways that they can take action to mitigate the impact
of their cats.

SongBird Survival is calling for a review of the environmental risk
assessment of companion animal medication for flea and tick treatments,
building on research findings at University of Sussex.

The SongBird Survival Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 raises awareness of the crisis affecting songbirds and shows how actions in gardens can help to protect them.

References

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Bird conservation organizations
Environmental organisations based in England
Environmental organizations established in 2001
Songbirds