Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Vertebrate > bird > Bird |
| Red List Status: | Near Threatened (Breeding) [NT(br)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Turdus torquatus |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | Linnaeus, 1758 |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Stanbury et al., 2021 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Very rare or functionally extinct in southern England; Dartmoor only two sites used since 2021; 1 pair in 2021, none in 2022, 1 pair in 2023, 1 pair 2024. Uncertain trend in northern England (CSM monitoring in N. Pennines 2021/22 showed significant declines in SSSIs). |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Research needed to determine drivers of decline. |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Provision of greater heterogeneity in upland landscapes beneficial as species requirements differ between nesting, foraging, post fledging, on passage |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 4. Autecology and pressures understood |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Pressures acting outside England |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Structured - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Pressures on first year survival not understood or dispersal and immigration between sub-populations; potential issues on migration and wintering grounds |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Complete and review trial management at RSPB Geltsdale and Dove Stone. Advise, refine, monitor and report on success.
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Geltsdale, Dove Stone
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Obtain data on the timing of movements on spring and autumn migration, stopover sites, wintering areas and mortality including investigation of immigration between sub-populations and wintering location by fitting birds with GPS/satellite tags in England in collaboration with Scottish research project.
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: North Pennines, Cumbria, North Yorks, Peak District
Comments:
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Determine the breeding population of Ring Ouzel in England via a national survey and consider and, as appropriate, implement the recommendations of the 2016 SPA Review for this species. Up to date evidence is required.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Targeted monitoring
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites: North Pennines, Cumbria, South Pennines (only 2 pairs located in South Pennines Phase 2 SPA in 2014), North Yorks (Dartmoor already monitored and functionally extinct)
Comments: Survey would be repeated on a regular basis (every decade)
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.