Disappearing Birds

Available for over a year

House martins live on our homes in summer and, in winter, they disappear. No one knows where they go. But now these mysterious birds are red listed. They’re rapidly declining more and more each year. Disappearing Birds tells the story of how people all over the UK are working hard to save them. New Storytellers is presenting the winners of the Charles Parker Prize for the Best Student Radio Feature 2023. Petra Robyn Jones, the producer of this winning feature, is a graduate from the University of the West of England’s MA course in Journalism (Audio, Documentary and Podcast). The judges remarked that her programme on house martins, celebrated their beauty and examined their declining numbers through a group of persuasive speakers - it was “well executed with good use of sound. The stories are engrossing and touching: Moving, insightful, surprising and sometimes shocking.” Producer: Petra Robyn Jones A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2023.