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Golden plovers roosting on the saltmarsh

About us

Bird Aware Solent helps people become more aware of the ducks, geese, waders, and other migratory birds that rely on our coastline, encouraging simple behaviour changes that help protect them. These birds travel incredible distances to reach the Solent – feeding and resting here in winter, and breeding here in summer.

Every year, up to 125,000 birds arrive from as far north as the Arctic and as far south as Africa. They come to take advantage of the rich food found in our coastal mudflats and along our shores, making the Solent coastline a place of international importance for wildlife.

To survive their long journeys and raise their young, these birds need space to feed, rest and breed without disturbance. Small changes in how people enjoy the coast – like looking out for birds, moving away if they become alert, keeping dogs alongside them and following requests on signs – can make a big difference to their wellbeing.

What we do

Our rangers work with and talk to visitors and communities along the coast – from the New Forest and Southampton Water to Portsmouth, Chichester and Langstone Harbours, and the northern coast of the Isle of Wight.

We help people:

  • learn about the many bird species that visit the Solent
  • understand how disturbance affects them
  • make small behaviour changes that protect birds while they’re out on the coast.

We’re always happy to hear from you – get in touch with us if there’s anything you’d like to know more about.

Ranger Tony
Map of the Solent area

How we are funded

As new housing is built, more people will visit the coast for recreation. This increases the risk of birds being disturbed while they feed, rest and breed. To reduce that impact, our work is funded through developer contributions paid by house builders to local councils. These funds allow us to help people enjoy the coast without increasing disturbance on the birds that depend on it.

The Partnership

Bird Aware Solent is the public-facing name of the Solent Recreation Mitigation Partnership, established in 2017. The partnership brings together fifteen local councils, Natural England, the RSPB, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, and Chichester Harbour Conservancy.

Together, we coordinate a shared approach to reducing bird disturbance across the Solent. Our terms of reference set out how the partnership is structured and governed, ensuring we work effectively to support both wildlife and the people who enjoy the coast.

Saltmarsh at Newtown, Isle of Wight

Our strategy

Bird Aware Solent aims to mitigate the potential impact of more people visiting the Solent coast around its three Special Protection Areas as a result of an increasing in housing.

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Our successes

A review of the first years of Bird Aware Solent’s work and a range of case studies which spotlight some of its successes.

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The Bird Aware Solent team with the sea behind them

Our team

The Bird Aware Solent team spend their time engaging with members of the public along and working with our partners on many projects which help protect our coastal birds.

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Privacy notice

This privacy policy explains how Bird Aware Solent uses the personal data we collect from you.

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