How Long Do Birds Live?

With poor ringing weather I spent sometime updating our longevity records for our most regularly ringed species.I find it fascinating how this varies from species to species. Not only did I record the oldest bird but all birds surviving five years and above after ringing.

The most amazing species is Reed Warbler with a record of 9 years and 314 days after ringing and with 44 records over five years. Compare this with Sedge Warbler with a record of only 5 years and 51 days and  the only one making 5 years. Granted we have ringed 17, 234  Reed Warblers almost 7000 more than Sedge Warblers and the retrap rate for Reed Warblers is 23% compared to 12% in Sedge Warblers. The high retrap rate suggests we are mainly catching a breeding population of Reed Warblers although recoveries show a small number passing through our sites from the few small colonies to the north with 22 in Cumbria (mainly at nearby Helton Tarn) but only one in Scotland. Sedge Warblers by contrast have  ten spread around Scotland and 11 from Cumbria. So in the case of Sedge Warblers quite a proportion are from a  transient  migratory population  where the chance of retrapping in following years is low  One wonders why there is such a difference between these closely related species? Is it conditions in the wintering areas in Africa or different migration or breeding  strategies?

Of the other warblers the Lesser Whitethroat  record is  5 years and 19 days with another one at five years with only 844 ringed. Next best is Willow Warbler with four at five years from 10964 ringed,  but like Sedge Warblers a good number of the birds caught are migrating through our area with 14 reports from Scotland and four from Cumbria.

Bearded Tits with 17 birds five plus years and a national record of 7 years 93 days are also exceptional. These are the results of an intensive RAS study based on 2458 new birds and 7618 colour ring sightings or retraps.

Of the resident species Chaffinch (oldest 9 years and 246 days) has 17 records of five years plus, as does Blue Tit (oldest 8 years and 15 days) but  we have handled over 31000 more Blue Tit than Chaffinch! Of the other tits Marsh Tit is also outstanding with a record of 8 years 220 days and four over five years plus from only 725 handled. Long-tailed Tits(oldest 7years 285days) has 6 over 5 years from 3169 handlings.
 The table below details my findings with details  of numbers ringed, retraps/sightings. Numbers of birds  above 5 years and for comparison the national longevity record.


John

Table 1 Longevity Records for Most Ringed Species 1999-July 2018

Species	New ringed	Retraps  Etc	Oldest	9+ years	8	7	6	5	National
Sand Martin	17076	3334	6 Y 19D				1	6	7y 9m 1d
Swallow	23076	130	3Y 253 D						11y 1m11d
Wren	3467	1162	5Y 290d					1	7y3m6d
Dunnock	3130	1632	9Y 285D	1		1	4	2	11y3m7d
Robin	5203	1715	7Y 95 D			1	1	5	8y4m30d
Great S Wood	301	158	5y 161 D					1	11y5m2d
Blackbird	3494	1239	8Y 155 D		1		6	9	14y9m15d
Song Thrush	1023	152	6Y242 D				2	2	11y8d
Redstart	1363	21	4Y 80 D						8 y8d
Grey Wagtail	1003	78	4 Y70 D						7y1d
Sedge Warbler	10752	1463	5 Y 32 D					1	8y8m8d
Reed Warbler	17234	5325	9 Y314 D	2	2	8	11	21	12y11m21d
Blackcap	3154	437	4 Y 43 D						10y8m15d
Whitethroat	2450	361	4Y 84 D						7y9m5d
L.Whitethroat	844	180	5 y 19 D					2	9y2d
Willow Warbler	10964	774	5Y 337 D					4	10y11m18d
Chiffchaff	3783	400	2 Y 332 D						7Y7M24D
Cetti’s Warbler	65	61	3 Y 344 D						9Y 3M28D
Goldcrest	5184	728	2 Y113 D						5Y1M12D
Pied Flycatcher	9135	925	6 Y 10D				1	3	9Y7D
Bearded Tit	2458	7618	7 Y93D			2	4	13	7Y3M
Long-tailed Tit	3169	1850	7Y 285 D			1	1	4	8Y11M
Blue Tit	31155	8644	8 Y 15 D		1	5	3	8	10Y3M10D
Great Tit	13709	3922	13Y 329D	1			1	2	13Y11M5D
Coal Tit	4282	2975	7 Y21D			1	3	1	9Y2M25D
Marsh Tit	455	270	8Y 220 D		1	1		2	11Y3M
Nuthatch	976	2467	4Y 230D						10Y11M3D
Treecreeper	494	137	4Y 364 D						8Y18D
House Sparrow	1062	67	5Y 327 D					2	12Y12D
Chaffinch	7044	975	9 Y 246 D	2	3	3	3	6	13Y11M26D
Greenfinch	8862	1105	9 Y	1		1	1	2	12Y8M26D
Goldfinch	6675	1213	5 Y 15 D					1	10Y2D
Siskin	3306	93	3 Y 363 D						8Y1M27D6Y4M2
Twite	1227	1194	3 Y 363 D						6Y4M24D
Lesser Redpoll	2651	1031	4Y 333D						6Y10M11D
Bullfinch	956	488	6 Y361 D				1	1	9Y2M9D
Reed Bunting	3440	433	7 Y 355 D			1		1	9Y4M18D