Ecologists track rare bird for BBC Springwatch

Ecologists from the School of Biological and Environmental Sciences are featured tonight on BBC Springwatch, showcasing research with the National Trust to protect the declining pied flycatcher in the UK.

Dr Danielle Hinchcliffe, Lecturer in Conservation Biology and Ecology at LJMU, is exploring how the birds find nests and breed.

Footage from LJMU’s nest box monitoring project at Longshaw Estate in the Peak District has appeared in every episode of this year’s Springwatch series on BBC2, with a full segment airing tonight, 4 June.

The project, titled “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”, uses a combination of field research, tracking technology and DNA analysis to uncover how these migratory birds choose nest sites and what environmental factors contribute to breeding success.

Pied flycatchers, which travel thousands of miles from Africa to nest in UK woodlands, have seen a 59% decline in breeding populations over the past 25 years and are now on the UK amber list of conservation concern.

Dr Hinchcliffe and her team are analysing bird droppings using DNA metabarcoding to identify diet, assess stress hormones, and uncover the ecological conditions that make certain sites more successful. The study also uses microclimate sensors and movement-tracking tags to examine how flycatchers interact with their environment and even compete with other species like blue tits and great tits.

The research builds on a decade-long conservation effort by the National Trust at Longshaw, which recorded 308 fledged chicks in 2024 alone. Dr Hinchcliffe hopes the project will continue for years to come and is actively seeking a PhD studentship to expand the study’s reach and impact.

Dr Hinchcliffe teaches on LJMU's Zoology and Wildlife Conservation undergraduate and postgraduate courses.