The Wytham Tit Project is a long-term population study of two woodland bird species - great tits and blue tits at Wytham Woods - run by the Edward Grey Institute in the Department of Zoology.
Answering key questions
Tits make excellent study species for ecological research as they readily take to nest boxes, do not travel far from where they are born, and cope well with being monitored. Hence, the whole population can be followed throughout their lifetime.
This allows us to answer key questions about how birds live such as their lifespan, how many offspring they have and whether differences in looks or are behaviour inherited from parents. As social animals, they can tell us a lot about learning mechanisms, and the continuity of the study gives vital insight into the effects of climate change.
How your support makes a difference
What began in 1947 with 100 nest boxes in one section of Wytham Woods, with the support of generous donors and funding sources, has since expanded to cover the entire 385-hectare woodland using over 1000 fixed location nest boxes. Up to 40 generations of birds have been monitored, making this one of the longest running ecological studies of marked wild individual animals in the world.
The Wytham Tit Project has led the way in ecological research for decades, notably in helping us understand the impact of climate change on populations. Traditional sources of funding are growing harder to come by, but this research - and particularly continuity in funding - continues to be important. Your support is vital to ensuring the continuation of the Wytham Tit Project and will enable the academics behind the research to plan confidently for the future.