NRS annual totals

The table below shows the number of nests monitored per species for the Nest Record Scheme in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons, and in total since the survey started in 1939.

Species in the table that are marked with an asterisk are ones for which we particularly wish to encourage more monitoring because although they are common we receive relatively few records for them. The species shown in italics are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, which means it is illegal to approach their nests without a permit. More information about Schedule 1 permits can be found here.

Note that the totals below only include records of nesting attempts that have got at least as far egg-laying. Every year we also receive c.7,000 records of empty nest boxes and territories.

Download the totals in a spreadsheet

Species
2021
2022
All
Mute Swan*
113
84
8,655
Whooper Swan
2
0
40
Greylag Goose
33
28
1,680
Canada Goose
34
50
6,017
Egyptian Goose
6
11
276
Shelduck
3
7
480
Mandarin Duck
46
35
1,215
Wigeon
1
0
182
Gadwall
15
15
404
Teal
0
2
266
Mallard
114
73
11,417
Shoveler
5
4
281
Red-crested Pochard
0
1
40
Pochard
3
0
330
Tufted Duck
12
12
1,657
Eider*
234
201
14,343
Common Scoter
7
5
98
Goldeneye
19
18
561
Goosander
6
7
536
Red Grouse
12
19
955
Ptarmigan
1
0
147
Black Grouse
1
1
118
Red-legged Partridge
1
2
541
Grey Partridge
0
2
907
Pheasant
13
11
2,715
Red-throated Diver*
14
2
2,568
Black-throated Diver
2
1
272
Fulmar*
163
29
8,672
Manx Shearwater
99
8
1,582
Storm Petrel
39
0
173
Gannet
30
22
85
Cormorant*
135
127
4,350
Shag*
157
89
19,381
Bittern
2
1
46
Little Egret
31
85
484
Grey Heron*
74
120
10,224
White Stork
7
12
21
Little Grebe
25
23
3,230
Great Crested Grebe
39
32
5,336
Honey-buzzard
8
10
320
Red Kite
162
172
4,542
White-tailed Eagle
18
9
130
Marsh Harrier
50
50
670
Hen Harrier*
40
90
2,452
Goshawk
217
337
3,747
Sparrowhawk*
19
42
6,621
Buzzard
234
178
10,057
Golden Eagle
30
19
995
Osprey
34
48
467
Kestrel
579
560
16,526
Merlin*
124
126
5,357
Hobby
70
86
2,311
Peregrine
176
240
6,104
Water Rail
5
8
179
Moorhen*
191
151
28,517
Coot
250
212
27,650
Oystercatcher*
252
310
24,247
Black-winged Stilt
0
1
6
Avocet
60
53
1,639
Stone-curlew
21
52
729
Little Ringed Plover*
61
68
3,796
Ringed Plover*
71
54
13,077
Dotterel
10
0
341
Golden Plover*
18
24
1,145
Lapwing*
375
376
33,151
Dunlin
13
3
688
Snipe*
22
21
2,002
Woodcock
7
11
752
Black-tailed Godwit
56
59
276
Whimbrel
2
0
160
Curlew*
86
166
3,952
Common Sandpiper*
19
25
2,043
Green Sandpiper
1
0
7
Greenshank
9
8
264
Wood Sandpiper
1
2
17
Redshank*
20
10
3,834
Arctic Skua
11
1
441
Great Skua
12
1
721
Kittiwake*
425
364
25,370
Black-headed Gull*
113
173
14,097
Mediterranean Gull
13
26
200
Common Gull*
134
63
7,532
Lesser Black-backed Gull
131
24
5,366
Herring Gull
128
67
9,530
Great Black-backed Gull
46
47
3,920
Little Tern*
225
436
10,089
Sandwich Tern
0
24
1,981
Common Tern*
102
54
10,046
Roseate Tern
150
154
2,693
Arctic Tern*
69
2
20,427
Guillemot
31
0
2,045
Razorbill
177
31
2,303
Black Guillemot
2
2
2,593
Puffin
60
60
1,404
Rock Dove
22
29
1,262
Feral Pigeon
4
7
2,499
Stock Dove
1,146
1,020
27,172
Woodpigeon
510
513
40,981
Collared Dove
73
89
7,519
Turtle Dove
0
2
2,198
Ring-necked Parakeet
3
12
212
Cuckoo
30
55
2,703
Barn Owl
3,049
3,513
48,294
Little Owl
144
150
4,836
Tawny Owl
511
542
18,824
Long-eared Owl
13
12
1,052
Short-eared Owl
9
7
566
Nightjar
116
131
3,394
Swift
179
290
4,777
Kingfisher
8
30
1,104
Green Woodpecker
8
4
638
Great Spotted Woodpecker
35
34
3,795
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
18
2
397
Chough
105
123
1,511
Magpie*
36
49
9,612
Jay
6
4
1,853
Jackdaw
564
517
16,571
Rook*
179
647
20,157
Hooded Crow
23
23
1,453
Carrion Crow*
38
75
9,873
Raven
120
109
6,563
Goldcrest
9
13
1,153
Firecrest
1
25
53
Blue Tit
7,505
7,897
221,794
Great Tit
4,164
4,323
151,604
Crested Tit
2
1
690
Coal Tit
121
77
7,662
Willow Tit
7
32
937
Marsh Tit
55
39
2,418
Woodlark
104
79
3,529
Skylark*
53
49
10,109
Sand Martin
1,319
898
15,574
Swallow
1,429
1,463
105,741
House Martin
178
323
14,373
Cetti's Warbler
23
21
156
Long-tailed Tit
181
178
10,117
Wood Warbler*
62
44
4,328
Chiffchaff
208
159
6,661
Willow Warbler*
167
135
17,118
Blackcap
263
175
6,999
Garden Warbler
49
30
3,101
Lesser Whitethroat
2
2
1,103
Whitethroat*
99
74
8,567
Dartford Warbler
13
22
825
Grasshopper Warbler
32
34
737
Sedge Warbler*
45
54
5,807
Reed Warbler
681
602
28,447
Nuthatch
258
198
8,089
Treecreeper
46
46
3,571
Wren*
246
243
21,464
Starling*
250
254
22,620
Dipper*
622
588
17,930
Ring Ouzel*
46
42
2,497
Blackbird*
1,126
930
160,721
Song Thrush*
583
482
86,545
Redwing
1
0
129
Mistle Thrush*
39
44
9,420
Spotted Flycatcher*
108
160
14,309
Robin
486
373
30,532
Nightingale
13
8
604
Pied Flycatcher*
2,138
2,102
67,492
Black Redstart
1
8
218
Redstart*
265
265
10,253
Whinchat*
71
117
3,755
Stonechat
241
314
7,520
Wheatear*
52
66
4,870
Dunnock*
261
220
37,459
House Sparrow
522
524
22,081
Tree Sparrow
1,951
1,602
61,292
Yellow Wagtail*
2
10
1,204
Grey Wagtail*
222
159
8,901
Pied Wagtail*
143
145
13,584
Tree Pipit
113
95
3,080
Meadow Pipit*
141
194
13,651
Rock Pipit*
7
6
1,099
Chaffinch*
143
105
28,367
Greenfinch*
32
24
16,566
Goldfinch
111
91
5,408
Siskin
8
0
169
Linnet*
195
197
33,398
Twite
3
0
1,227
Lesser Redpoll*
10
9
1,536
Common Redpoll*
0
1
4
Common Redpoll
0
1
4
Common Crossbill
2
17
268
Scottish Crossbill
1
1
9
Common Rosefinch
0
1
2
Bullfinch*
34
22
7,027
Hawfinch
5
6
276
Yellowhammer*
72
91
9,766
Cirl Bunting
52
54
972
Reed Bunting*
84
103
9,852
Corn Bunting*
24
20
1,441
Overall Total
41,089
40,925
2,063,137

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