Dippers in and around Sheffield

When you can watch dippers from a tram in the middle of Hillsborough, or at the side of the road in Malin Bridge, there is little doubt that this species has become well urbanised! Indeed, it can be seen in some of the most built up regions of the city, as well as along sections of the rivers that are most heavily used by people. But, are these urban territories just as good as the rural ones, are they only occupied by younger and more inexperienced birds, and how do they cope with the levels of disturbance?

These are some of the questions I want to answer in my PhD research. As part of this work a number of the birds on the rivers Don, Loxley and Rivelin, and a bit further afield, have been colour ringed, and I am monitoring their movements, both seasonally and between years. If you see any of these birds, I would be very grateful if you would please let me know. They each have two colour rings on one leg and one colour ring and a BTO metal ring on the other.

 The birds seem to move around a great deal more than I imagined at the outset of my studies, and clearly travel much greater distances than their sedentary image would suggest. You might thus encounter them far from where they were originally ringed.

Many thanks in advance for your assistance.

Khaled S. Etayeb

Biodiversity & Macroecology Group
Department of Animal & Plant Sciences
The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN

Tel: 01142220084; Mobile: 07533489523; Email: bop06kse@sheffield.ac.uk