Cornish Nightjar GPS Tagging (Upcoming Project!)

Cornish Nightjar GPS Tagging – An up and coming NCBRG monitoring project.

Why do we want to do it and who with?
Dorset Nightjar Group and licensed bird ringers in North Cornwall have liaised to ensure that data collected from any Cornish studies will complement existing data sets that have taken place elsewhere in the UK and Europe.
Nightjars have been tracked in Dorset, Radnorshire, Norfolk, Derbyshire, Dumfries, as well as several European countries, and typically they travel away from their nesting areas at night to feed. They often visit completely different habitats to those in which they breed. Because of this, any plans to conserve Nightjars must take into account these feeding habitats, not just the heathland or forest clearings where they have their nests.
Nightjars have never been tracked in Cornwall, and it would be valuable to add habitat use data from birds breeding on Forestry land in an area like Bodmin Moor, which has quite different surrounding habitats compared with most other UK sites where Nightjars have been tracked.
Why is it important to know more about Cornish Nightjar behaviour and what benefit could this be to the species and the local population?
The Nightjar is a ground-nesting bird that is facing a range of threats in the UK, including habitat loss, predation, and disturbance. GPS tagging can provide valuable insights into the behaviour and movements of these birds, allowing conservationists and landowners to take targeted action to protect them.

In recent years, research has shown that Nightjars are declining in the UK, with populations in some areas falling by as much as 90% over the past 25 years. This decline has been linked to changes in land use, with the loss of heathland and other open habitats that provide the birds with the insects they feed on. In addition, disturbance from human activities can disrupt breeding and nesting behaviours.