BTO - British Trust for Ornithology - Farmland

The State of the UK's Birds 2020

WSKELLORN — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 13:35:42 +0000

The Cuckoo cohort of 2024 takes flight!

Burns, F., Eaton, M.A., Balmer, D.E., Banks, A., Caldow, R., Donelan, J.L., Douse, A., Duigan, C., Foster, S., Frost, T., Grice, P.V., Hall, C., Hanmer, H.J., Harris, S.J., Johnstone, I., Lindley, P., McCulloch, N., Noble, D.G., Risely, K., Robinson, R.A. & Wotton, S. Our volunteers: the beating heart of BTO data

SUKB collates data from annual, periodic and one-off surveys and monitoring studies of birds, such as the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP), the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS), Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP) and Goose and Swan Monitoring Programme (GSMP). In addition, the 2020 report also includes results from the Nest Record Scheme, Constant Effort Sites (CES) Scheme and Re-trapping Adults for Survival (RAS) Scheme, the latter two schemes collecting demographic information through the efforts of bird ringers.

The report takes information from these and other schemes, research and surveys and delivers information at a country-specific scale, as well as providing an overview for the UK as a whole.

Volunteers play an essential role in bird monitoring in the UK, by donating their time, energy and expertise. The data they collect are vital for conservation, tracking changes in populations and supporting policy development. This year, many monitoring schemes have been adversely affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic and we want to say a special thank you to all of our volunteers for their continued support through this difficult time. Their skill, effort and dedication deserve huge recognition. Sarah Harris, BBS National Organiser

Woodland species

This year’s report highlights the continuing poor fortunes of the UK’s woodland birds. The UK Wild Bird Populations Indicator for woodland species show a long-term decline of 27% since the early 1970s, with declines of 7% evident over just the last five years. More worryingly, when looking at individual trends within the report, some specialist woodland birds have declined dramatically, including Willow Tit with a 94% decline since 1970 as illustrated by the joint Common Birds Census / Breeding Bird Survey UK-wide trend.

After worrying declines in breeding Tawny owl populations were flagged-up by the Breeding Bird Survey, BTO launched targeted survey work on this species during 2018 and 2019. SUKB reports on some of the results from this research, which revealed a decline in site occupancy from 65% in 2005 to 53% in 2018/19. The BTO work has also sought to understand some of the reasons for this change in fortunes.

Results at different scales

Data from many of the surveys covered in SUKB also feed into European-wide schemes and the SUKB report goes from celebrating the publication of the latest European Breeding Bird Atlas, through to finer-scale country-specific results and research. Not bad for an 80 page report!

Country-specific headlines include increases in House Sparrow populations in Wales, where work is also taking place to address the pronounced decline in Curlew numbers. In Scotland, the fragile status of Corncrake is highlighted, alongside increases in farmland species such as Tree Sparrow and Yellowhammer. The Northern Ireland pages look into changing fortunes of seabirds and explore how proposed marine Special Protection Areas may be used to tackling the observed decline. The Northern Ireland pages also examine declines in wintering geese, such as Light-bellied Brent Goose. Finally, over to England and promising results for Stone Curlew conservation work, as well as reporting back on the English Winter Bird Survey for which 1,485 sites were surveyed by volunteers to help us understand the value of agri-environment options.

As in previous reports, we hear about species from 14 UK Overseas Territories and three Crown Dependencies – including Black-browed Albatross, St Helena Plover and South Georgia Pipit, about the Gough Island Restoration Programme, and discover that 69 species in the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are now Globally Threatened.

Closer to home, 25 years of BTO Garden BirdWatch is also celebrated, with Goldfinch now the 8th most commonly recorded garden bird, up from 20th back in 1995.

Volunteers

There is a common theme in this report: volunteers. The sheer enormity of their contributions to bird monitoring as a whole is evident throughout this report. Most of the surveys and schemes covered here are only possible thanks to the dedication and skills of the thousands of volunteers who give up their time to help monitor birds and in turn, inform conservation action. Thank you.

Who produces this report?

SUKB 2020 is produced by a coalition of three NGOs: the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), together with the UK’s statutory nature conservation bodies: Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland (DAERA), the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Natural England (NE), Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and NatureScot.

Breeding Bird Survey

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 11:46:31 +0000

The Breeding Bird Survey is the main scheme for monitoring the population changes of the UK’s common and widespread breeding birds. The survey involves two early-morning spring visits to a 1-km square, to count all the birds you see or hear while walking two parallel 1-km lines across the square.

Breeding Bird SurveyButterfly Monitoring Friday, April 1, 1994 - 00:00

BBS monitors the population changes of 118 breeding bird species across the UK thanks to the dedication of almost 3,000 volunteers who survey their randomly selected 1-km square each spring.

The BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the main scheme for monitoring the population changes of the UK’s common and widespread breeding birds, producing population trends for 118 bird and nine mammal species.

The survey involves a recce visit and two early-morning spring visits to an allocated 1-km square, to count all the birds you see or hear while walking two 1-km lines across the square and record any nest counts for colonial nesting birds in the square.

You can optionally record mammals and visit your square later in the season to survey for butterflies. There is the option to return data on paper, via field recording forms or to submit your data on BBS-Online.

Support the future of our birds

Our surveys are vital. The data they produce help us drive positive change for the UK’s birds.

But increased pressure on funding is putting our surveys and data at risk – which is why we need your support.

Donate today

bbs-report-2022-cover.jpg

Read the latest BBS report

The Breeding Bird Survey started in 1994, and a report is produced every year containing population changes and other results from the scheme.

The 2022 Breeding Bird Survey Report reveals a mixed picture, especially for birds which breed in farmland habitats.

Read the 2022 Breeding Bird Survey report

How to take part

Find out how to request a square and what the survey entails.

Results

Explore the results from the data BBS volunteers provide.

Mammal recording

Find out how to record mammals during your BBS visits.

Count butterflies on your BBS square

Take part in the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey by making additional visits to your BBS square.

How to enter BBS data online

Instructions and video tutorials on submitting your BBS data.

Download BBS forms

Download and print BBS recording forms instructions and recording forms.

Support the future of our birds

Our surveys are vital. The data they produce help us drive positive change for the UK’s birds.

But increased pressure on funding is putting our surveys and data at risk – which is why we need your support.

Donate today

Take part in BBS - counting for conservation

David White

James Heywood

February – March Forms sent or downloaded
March Reconnaissance visit
Early April – mid May Early visit
Mid May – late June Late visit
May – August Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey
End of August Data entry deadline

Undertake three site visits between April and June - a recce and two morning visits, along with data entry. Able to identify UK breeding birds by sight, song and call. If you have the necessary bird ID skills to take part in the Breeding Bird Survey but want to learn more about survey methods, there are a number of BTO training courses covering this subject.

ongoing Farmland birdsUpland birdsWoodland birdsOther species volunteers

BTO Urban AppealWider Countryside Butterfly SurveyAssessing agri-environment schemes No bbs@bto.org

Distance functions of carabids in crop fields depend on functional traits, crop type and adjacent habitat: a synthesis

VIOLA.ROSS-SMITH — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 14:36:35 +0000

The Cuckoo cohort of 2024 takes flight!

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Boetzl, F.A., Sponsler, D., Albrecht, M., Batáry, P., Birkhofer, K., Knapp, M., Krauss, J., Maas, B., Martin, E.A., Sirami, C., Sutter, L., Bertrand, C., Bosem Baillod, A., Bota, G., Bretagnolle, V., Brotons, L., Frank, T., Fusser, M., Giralt, D., González, E., Hof, A.R., Luka, H., Marrec, R., Nash, M.A., Ng, K., Plantegenest, M., Poulin, B., Siriwardena, G.M., Tscharntke, T., Tschumi, M., Vialatte, A., Van Vooren, L., Zubair-Anjum, M., Entling, M.H., Steffan-Dewenter, I. & Schirmel, J. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6984205 Natural pest and weed regulation are essential for agricultural production, but the spatial distribution of natural enemies within crop fields and its drivers are mostlyunknown. Using 28 datasets comprising 1204 study sites across eight Western and Central European countries, we performed a quantitative synthesis of carabid richness, activity densities and functional traits in relation to field edges (i.e. distance functions). We show that distance functions of carabids strongly depend on carabid functional traits, crop type and, to a lesser extent, adjacent non-crop habitats. Richness of both carnivores and granivores, and activity densities of small and granivorous species decreased towards field interiors, whereas the densities of large species increased. We found strong distance decays in maize and vegetables whereas richness and densities remained more stable in cereals, oilseed crops and legumes. We conclude that carabid assemblages in agricultural landscapes are driven by the complex interplay of crop types, adjacent non-crop habitats and further landscape parameters with great potential for targeted agroecological management. In particular, our synthesis indicates that a higher edge–interior ratio can counter the distance decay of carabid richness per field and thus likely benefits natural pest and weed regulation, hence contributing to agricultural sustainability. This research was partially funded by the ERA-Net BiodivERsA, with the national funders French National ResearchAgency (ANR-11-EBID-0004), German Ministry of Research and Education, German Research Foundation and Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, part of the 2011 BiodivERsA call for research proposals and the BiodivERsA-FACCE project ‘Enhancing biodiversity-based ecosystem services to crops through optimized densities of green infrastructure in agricultural landscapes’ (PCIN-2014-048). P.B. was supported by the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH KKP133839), M.K. was funded by TAČR (SS02030018–DivLand).

Farmland practices are driving bird population decline across Europe

MIKETOMS — Fri, 12 May 2023 14:39:25 +0000

The Cuckoo cohort of 2024 takes flight!

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Rigala, S., Dakos, V., Alonso, H., Auniņš, A., Benkőe, Z., Brotons, L., Chodkiewicz, T., Chylareck, P., de Carlil, E., del Moral, J.C., Domșa, C., Escandell, V., Fontaine, B., Foppen, R., Gregory, R., Harris, S., Herrando, S., Husby, M., Leronymidou C., Jiguet, J., Kennedy, J., Klvaňová, A., Kmecl, P., Kuczyński, L. , Kurlavičius, P., Kålås J.A., Lehikoinen, A., Lindström, Å, Lorrillière, R., Moshø, C., Nellis, R., Noble, D., Eskildsen, D.P., Paquet, J-Y., Pelissié, M., Pladevall, C., Portolou, D., Reif, J., Schmid, H., Seaman, B., Szabo, Z.D., Szép, T., Florenzano, G.T., Teufelbauer, N., Trautmann, S., van Turnhout, C., Vermouzek, Z., Vikstrøm, T., Voříšek, P., Weiserbs, A. & Devictor, V. PNAS 10.1073/pnas.2216573120

Declines in European bird populations are reported for decades, but the direct effect of major anthropogenic pressures on such declines remains unquantified. Causal relationships between pressures and bird population responses are difficult to identify as pressures interact at different spatial scales and responses vary among species. Here, we uncover direct relationships between population time series of 170 common bird species, monitored at more than 20,000 sites in 28 European countries, over 37 years, and four widespread anthropogenic pressures, namely agricultural intensification, change in forest cover, urbanization, and climate change (focusing on temperature), over the last decades. We quantify the influence of each pressure on bird population time series as well as its importance relative to other pressures, and we identify the traits of most affected species. We find that agricultural intensification, in particular pesticides and fertilizer use, is the main pressure for most bird population declines, especially for invertebrate feeders. Responses to changes in forest cover, urbanization, and temperature are more species specific. Specifically, forest cover is associated with a positive effect on population dynamics, growing urbanization is associated with a negative effect on population dynamics, while temperature change has an effect on the dynamics of a large number of bird populations, the magnitude and direction of which depend on species’ thermal preferences. Our results not only confirm the pervasive and strong effects of anthropogenic pressures on common breeding birds, but also quantify the relative strength of these effects, stressing the urgent need for transformative changes in the way of inhabiting the world in European countries, if bird populations shall have a chance of recovering.

Inconsistent relationships between area, heterogeneity and plant species richness in temperate farmed landscapes

VIOLA.ROSS-SMITH — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:38:40 +0000

The Cuckoo cohort of 2024 takes flight!

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Maskell, L., Alison, J., Forbes, N., Jarvis, S., Robinson, D., Siriwardena, G., Wood, C. & Smart, S. Oikos 10.1111/oik.09720 Relationships between area, heterogeneity and species richness are fundamental concepts in ecology yet questions remain about how area and heterogeneity tradeoff (AHTO) to constrain biodiversity. Although there is growing evidence for unimodal heterogeneity diversity relationships (HDR's) and an AHTO, tests of the concept and consequences for species richness across a landscape-scale gradient of human-modified ecosystems are rare. Using data from a national (Wales) field survey we analysed relationships between environmental heterogeneity and plant species richness (α and γ). We used ordination to produce a composite metric of heterogeneity and compared this to commonly used metrics. We used niche hypervolumes to categorise the breadth of plant species' ecological preferences and analysed relationships between species richness, niche width and heterogeneity. The HDR was unimodal with α diversity at the smallest scale and positive with α and γ diversity (non-linear) at the 1 km scale although in low intensity landscapes the HDR with γ diversity was unimodal. There was a unimodal relationship between habitat diversity and γ diversity. Land use intensity was unimodally related to diversity. There were significant interactions between niche width and heterogeneity. Richness of broad niche species increased with heterogeneity with flattening of the curve at higher levels. Narrow niche species were rare and mostly unresponsive. The expected decline in narrow niche species with increasing heterogeneity was not found although they did decline with land-use intensity. Using a unique dataset, an analysis of a large-scale mosaic of ecosystems found that the shape of the HDR varies with land use intensity, the heterogeneity metric, spatial scale, diversity type and niche width. Although heterogeneity can increase species richness, there may be tradeoffs at higher heterogeneity. A fundamental constraint on realising the benefit of heterogeneity is the low availability of narrower niche species in local species pools in modified landscapes. This research was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council award number NE/R016429/1 as part of the UK-SCaPE programme delivering National Capability, the Welsh Government and the Environment and Rural Affairs Monitoring and Modelling Programme (ERAMMP) (Welsh Government Contract C210/2016/2017) and the European Union's Interreg North-West Europe programme, supported by grant agreement no. NWE 810, project FABulous Farmers (Functional Agro-Biodiversity in farming).

Using satellite data to assess spatial drivers of bird diversity

VIOLA.ROSS-SMITH — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:31:18 +0000

The Cuckoo cohort of 2024 takes flight!

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Hunt, M.L., Blackburn, G.A., Siriwardena, G.M., Carrasco, L. & Rowland, C.S. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation 10.1002/rse2.322 Birds are useful indicators of overall biodiversity, which continues to decline globally, despite targets to reduce its loss. The aim of this paper is to understand the importance of different spatial drivers for modelling bird distributions. Specifically, it assesses the importance of satellite-derived measures of habitat productivity, heterogeneity and landscape structure for modelling bird diversity across Great Britain. Random forest (RF) regression is used to assess the extent to which a combination of satellite-derived covariates explain woodland and farmland bird diversity and richness. Feature contribution analysis is then applied to assess the relationships between the response variable and the covariates in the final RF models. We show that much of the variation in farmland and woodland bird distributions is explained (R2 0.64–0.77) using monthly habitat-specific productivity values and landscape structure (FRAGSTATS) metrics. The analysis highlights important spatial drivers of bird species richness and diversity, including high productivity grassland during spring for farmland birds and woodland patch edge length for woodland birds. The feature contribution provides insight into the form of the relationship between the spatial drivers and bird richness and diversity, including when a particular spatial driver affects bird richness positively or negatively. For example, for woodland bird diversity, the May 80th percentile Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for broadleaved woodland has a strong positive effect on bird richness when NDVI is >0.7 and a strong negative effect below. If relationships such as these are stable over time, they offer a useful analytical tool for understanding and comparing the influence of different spatial drivers.

Landsat data courtesy of US Geological Survey. The authors are thankful to all the volunteers and professional ecologists who collected bird, habitat and vegetation data in Countryside Survey (CS) and to CEH and BTO staff who co-ordinated the survey and data collation.

MH was funded by Lancaster University through a Lancaster Environment Centre PhD Studentship as part of the Graduate School for the Environment. CR, LC and MH were funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) National Capability award NE/N018125/1 ASSIST—Achieving Sustainable Agricultural Systems www.assist.ceh.ac.uk. ASSIST is an initiative jointly supported by NERC and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

My BTO volunteering journey: surveying breeding waders in the Yorkshire Dales

WEBSITEEDITOR — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 11:28:52 +0000

Volunteer Annie Shadrake writes about her first year taking part in BTO surveys. No

Annie Shadrake Breeding Bird Survey, Wetland Breeding Bird Survey and Wetland Bird Survey Volunteer Follow Annie on Twitter Annie lives in the Yorkshire Dales, and looks forward to the arrival of waders, wheatears and warblers every spring. Many a lunch break will find her pottering around taking photos and short videos of birds and butterflies. Breeding Bird SurveyWaterways Breeding Bird Survey

As we entered 2022, after two years of unfathomable disruption, grief and chaos, these exhortations abounded. For me, the penny which had been slowly falling had finally dropped: I realised that I’m rarely calmer or more contented than when I am watching birds. A young Blackbird drifting to sleep as she faces the morning sun, or a Curlew atop a drystone wall calling reassurance to his fledglings – these natural untroubled birdy behaviours all do it for me.

So, at the end of January 2022, I took an active step to improve my mental health and give me a meaningful focus outside a busy, office-based job. I signed up to be a BTO volunteer bird surveyor.

There was a simple online application form, which included declaring myself to be experienced and competent at bird identification. Does joining the Young Ornithologists Club in 1973 count? I’m reasonably proficient after decades of birdwatching, and I enjoy consulting a book, online video or Twitter friends (or someone sitting next to me in a bird hide) if I have an unfamiliar bird in the binoculars. But I wouldn’t say I’m an expert, by any means.

I’m fortunate to live and work near the southern edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the survey sites I was later allocated are no more than a 25-minute drive from home.

Rather ambitiously, I took on two Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) sites, a Waterways Breeding Bird Survey (WBBS) stretch, plus two reservoirs comprising a Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) site.

While BBS only requires two visits to the site in the spring, WeBS is quite different - you need to visit once a month, throughout the year (or at least between September and March), as close as possible to target count dates, to record birds strongly associated with wetlands and waterbodies. Since I started, I have dropped one BBS site as it was just too far from where I live – so there’s a dramatic moorland site above Grassington that needs a new surveyor if you fancy it.

survey_volunteer_bto.jpg

BBS and WBBS

There are so many acronyms at BTO, it can be hard to keep track!

The BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and Waterways Breeding Bird Survey (WBBS) are two of our partnership surveys, which are mostly conducted by volunteers.

BBS records all breeding birds in an area of any habitat type, whereas WBBS is only conducted along waterways like rivers and streams.

More about BBS More about WBBS

Waterways Breeding Bird Survey: walks along the Wharfe

My WBBS – oh look how quickly I think of it as mine! – is a stretch of the River Wharfe. The route to walk, identify and count birds from is called a transect. Mine falls mostly on a public right of way, so access is straightforward.

After walking the 4-km one-way transect at a slow pace, you need to walk back of course. I liked to return via the nearby village for a restorative coffee and a bacon sandwich. No judging please.

The river is quite busy in the early morning, even in winter, with dog-walkers, swimmers, hikers and general nature-lovers enjoying the area. Increasing numbers of us rightly seek solace and well-being in nature, but I did find it difficult to see the impact of this on the more sensitive and vulnerable birds. Oystercatcher, Redshank, Common Sandpiper – these birds were flushed in seconds from their roosting rocks in the river as people and dogs appeared. Presumably they were displaced for the day up to quieter stretches of the river, or to fields which are less disturbed and off public rights of way.

Preparing for my Breeding Bird Survey

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Curlew on one of Annie's BBS sites. Annie Shadrake

My BBS site is in a very different area to the WBBS stretch, on two adjacent sheep farms in mid-Wharfedale.

The land is actively farmed, so the habitats are mainly semi-improved upland grassland, with a fringe of rougher acidic grassland, heather and rushes. Breeding ewes are outside all year, being brought into the shelter of in-bye land or large sheds on the farmstead to lamb.

My transect is made up of eight 200 m sections, and I’m lucky that they fall almost entirely on public rights of way – I didn’t need specific permission from the farmers to visit their private land.

Notwithstanding, my preference is to introduce myself when the chance arises. Farmers, like birdwatchers, are early risers, and I met both farmers at different times – moving feed or stock, or checking lambs.

The farmer was knowledgeable about waders on his land and told me where the best nesting areas were.

I first visited the BBS survey square in March 2022, to do the ‘recce’ and match up the transect sections with the lay of the land. It’s also a good time to record the different habitats.

I saw a few Lapwing and Redshank, which were great signs for my survey visits later in the year. The farmer was knowledgeable about waders on his land and told me where the best nesting areas were – I was excited to hear that some were inside the 1-km square of my site.

Annie saw several Lapwing on her BBS ‘recce’ visit - a promising sign of things to come. Annie Shadrake

Waders on Wharfedale farms

For BBS, you visit the site for one ‘Early’ and one ‘Late’ visit that need to be at least four weeks apart. I chose my visits for 9 April and 19 May to fit in with work and days off, with a good weather forecast being the clincher.

On my Early visit, I counted 11 Oystercatchers, 13 Lapwings, seven Curlew and four Redshank. All were displaying courting or territorial behaviour such as display flights, or calling while in-flight and from obvious perches. Otherwise, the most numerous birds were Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Carrion Crow. These birds are opportunistic omnivores, taking advantage of unattended nests to predate eggs and chicks.

On my Late visit, I counted four Oystercatchers, 18 Lapwings, seven Curlew and six Redshank. The gulls and corvids were present again too.

I’m fascinated by waders, and not just because they are spectacular and beautiful birds – they migrate such incredible distances.

Waders like Golden Plover breed in the Yorkshire Dales each year. Liz Cutting / BTO

Breeding Wader Visits to my BBS sites

Then, in early June, I spotted a BTO tweet about doing extra Breeding Wader Visits on BBS sites where waders had already been seen.

I’m fascinated by waders, and not just because they are spectacular and beautiful birds. They migrate such incredible distances. In Britain you can see the same species of wader in wildly different habitats, depending on the time of year, from mountains and moors to rocky and sandy stretches of our coastlines.

The upland grasslands, stony areas and moorlands of the Yorkshire Dales still attract adult waders to breed every spring – Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover and Golden Plover, for example.

Some of these waders are Red-listed in the UK, and those that aren’t may soon be. So naturally, I leapt at the chance to do additional visits, and observe breeding waders on my Wharfedale BBS site before the survey window closed at the end of June.

Waders often nest and raise young on farmland in close proximity to livestock, like these Lapwing chicks (in the foreground). Annie Shadrake

To prepare, I consulted the excellent factsheets in the BTO resources, and watched some Zoom presentations from the RSPB and Curlew Action. I learned that intense, persistent alarm calling, reluctance to leave the area, flying towards or circling the observer, short flushing distances and distraction display are all behaviours indicative of dependent young nearby.

On my Breeding Wader survey visits, I recorded these behaviours for all the wader species on my site. I was especially thrilled to see young Lapwing chicks, despite large numbers of corvids and gulls in the area and the fact that nests and chicks were practically under the feet of numerous grazing sheep.

Writing this article has brought back so many really good memories from my bird surveying mornings. I was fortunate to have incredible bird-filled moments in beautiful locations. I chatted to people and farmers about the birds on their doorstep. I learnt a lot about bird behaviour and the threats to our most precious and threatened waders. After a season of surveying, I am now far better at identifying summer warblers and migratory waders – including some by call or song.

This year I am determined to make better notes, brush up on the habitat types and do as many extra Breeding Wader counts as I am allowed! If you are considering becoming a volunteer yourself, I’d urge you to give it a go. I can’t wait for spring and the call of returning Curlew and Oystercatcher, and to do my small bit to help the science behind bird conservation.

Writing this article has brought back so many really good memories from my bird surveying mornings. If you are considering becoming a volunteer yourself, I’d urge you to give it a go.

Redhsank. Allan Drewitt / BTO

Inspired by Annie’s story?

If you’d like to see more of Annie’s volunteering story, you can follow her on Twitter or watch more of her wader footage on YouTube.

Become a BTO volunteer!

Our work to drive positive change for the UK’s birds depends on volunteers like Annie - like you. You don’t need to be an expert to take part.

Explore our projects and take part Learn more about Breeding Wader Visits to BBS squares

Annie Shadrake writes about her first year taking part in BTO surveys.

1 January 2023 Breeding waders in the Yorkshire Dales

Be in the moment. Be mindful. Be in nature.

17 Jan 2023

Yorkshire and the Humber

Reversing declines in farmland birds: how much agri-environment provision is needed at farm and landscapes scales?

MIKETOMS — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 11:56:12 +0000

The Cuckoo cohort of 2024 takes flight!

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Sharps, E., Hawkes, R., Bladon, A., Buckingham, D., Border, J., Morris, A., Grice, P. & Peach, W. Journal of Applied Ecology 10.1111/1365-2664.14338

Agri-environment schemes (AES) are the primary policy mechanism for addressing farmland biodiversity declines across Europe. Despite previous studies on the impacts of AES on biodiversity, there is little empirical evidence on the scale of provision required to reverse declines.

Across three regions of lowland England with contrasting farm systems (arable, pastoral, mixed), we estimated avian population growth rates (PGRs) on farmland with high AES provision (‘higher-tier’: average bird-friendly option cover = 7.4%), low AES provision (‘lower-tier’: 2.3%) and no bird-friendly AES (‘no AES’). Ten-year PGRs were derived for 24 species and three multi-species groups comprising farmland-associated species (‘farmland birds’), species of conservation concern (‘priority birds’) and species restricted to farmland (‘specialist birds’). We used PGRs to simulate the proportion of the regional farmland landscape that would have to be assigned to higher- and lower-tier agreements to stabilise or increase populations.

In the arable and pastoral regions, 13/23 and 13/22 species, respectively, had more positive PGRs under higher-tier AES than on no AES farmland (none had more negative PGRs), compared to 4/22 (positive) and 1/22 (negative) in the mixed region. Only two to four species per region exhibited more positive PGRs under lower-tier AES compared to no AES farmland.

Multi-species PGRs in the arable and pastoral regions increased from no AES (strong decline), to lower-tier (decline or stability) to higher-tier (moderate or strong increase). There was no overall AES effect in the mixed region.

To increase regional farmland bird populations by 10% over 10 years, 47% and 26% of the farmed landscape would need to be devoted to higher-tier agreements in arable and pastoral landscapes respectively. This falls to 34% and 17% when higher-tier is targeted at localities supporting higher abundances of target species, and to 29% and 10% when 30% of the farmed landscape is also devoted to lower-tier. Priority and specialist birds require higher provision levels.

Policy implications. Where farmland bird recovery is an AES objective, farms should prioritise higher-tier agreement delivery over lower-tier. Farmland bird responses to AES provision are likely to vary regionally, but careful targeting will reduce the amount needed in the landscape.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Natural England funded this work through the Action for Birds in England programme. We are grateful to the RSPB fieldworkers, the British Trust for Ornithology and BBS volunteers for the avian data. We are also grateful to the landowners for access, Rob Field for higher-tier site recruitment and Gavin Siriwardena for the agri-environment data. Thanks to the Associate Editor (Urs Kormann), Editor (Jos Barlow) and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this paper. The authors are based in the region where this study was carried out. The effects of a decade of agri-environment intervention in a lowland farm landscape on population trends of birds and butterflies

This study compares the changing fortunes of farmland bird populations on land managed under different tiers of AES provision. Survey work on land managed under the higher-level tier (intended to deliver greater biodiversity benefits) enabled changes in the abundance of target farmland bird populations to be compared with those on land that was either within the lower-level tier of AES provision or outside AES provision altogether. Data from the lower-level tier land with no AES provision were collected through the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey. While this means that the data being compared were collected in different ways, there is very good evidence to show that this approach is appropriate.

Land that was managed under the higher-level tier had, on average, more ‘bird-friendly option’ cover (7.4%), compared to land managed under the lower-level tier (2.3%). The growth rates of farmland bird populations (covering 24 species and three groups – farmland-associated species, species of conservation concern, farmland specialists) were calculated over a 10-year period. The study also looked at these patterns across three farmland types: arable, pastoral, and mixed farming.

For each farmland type, comparisons were made between the AES tiers and non-AES land, revealing that 57% of species in arable landscapes had a more positive population growth rate under higher-level tier AES than on non-AES farmland; the corresponding figures for the pastoral and mixed farming landscapes were 59% and 18% respectively. Only two to four species per region exhibited more positive trends under lower-level tier AES compared to non- AES farmland. This suggests that the higher-level tier is delivering the intended biodiversity benefits.

The next question was to work out how much of the land would need to be placed within the higher-level tier in order to achieve desired conservation outcomes for target bird species. This revealed that to increase regional farmland bird populations by 10% over 10-years, some 47% of the arable farmed landscape and 26% of the pastoral farmed landscape would need to be devoted to higher-level tier agreements. These figures could be reduced if the land to be placed within AES is targeted at localities supporting higher abundances of target species, and if additional land area is brought into the lower-level tier scheme at the same time. This knowledge helps to inform decisions about the quantity and placement of future AES schemes at a landscape scale.

How BTO data are driving positive change for UK birds

WEBSITEEDITOR — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 17:06:46 +0000

BTO's CEO Juliet explains how we use our data to drive positive change for the UK's birds. Yes

Juliet Vickery

Chief Executive Officer

Juliet is responsible for leading the work of the Trust, under the governance and strategy of the Board.

Juliet Vickery

Breeding Bird SurveyBird Ringing SchemeBird Atlas 2007-11Nest Record Scheme

Featured Publication

Peer-reviewed papers

Trends in the abundance of farmland birds: a quantitative comparison of smoothed Common Birds Census indices

1998 | Siriwardena, G.M., Baillie, S.R., Buckland, S.T., Fewster, R.M., Marchant, J.H. & Wilson, J.D.

Journal of Applied Ecology

More Details

Featured Publication

Peer-reviewed papers

We’ve done this brilliantly for seed-eating farmland birds, with decades of work studying the dramatic declines of species such as Yellowhammer, Tree Sparrow and Reed Bunting. Our long-term BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data, as well as data from the Common Birds Census, revealed the extent of these declines. Analysis of data from the British and Irish Ringing Scheme allowed us to determine that the main driver of the population decrease, for many of these seed-eating birds, was reduced adult survival over the winter months, not – as might have been expected – reduced breeding success. Our data revealed that the increased adult mortality during winter was caused by changing agricultural practices, specifically the loss of over-winter weedy stubble, a major food source for many of the declining farmland species. Now, options exist under various agri-environment schemes to enhance winter food resources in farmed landscapes, and BTO data are playing a central role in evaluating the success of these.

I also highlighted ongoing BTO research that has shed light on the population trends of Britain’s Willow Warblers, which are decreasing in the southeast and increasing in the northwest. Data on population growth, survival, productivity and moult, all collected by volunteers through our schemes, show how consistently low productivity, rather than survival, has prevented population recovery in the southeast. How this is linked more closely to changes in climate rather than habitat was revealed earlier this year; the mean summer temperature in the southeast is now around 1.6°C higher than the optimum for this species.

Willow Warbler. Chris Knights / BTO

Our body of research around Willow Warblers is throwing light on their population trends across the UK. Chris Knights / BTO

The extraordinary breadth and depth of our data reveal the roots of population declines, and in turn, drive positive change for our birds.

The latest piece of work in this area has demonstrated how moult advances faster with climate warming in the south than in the north, reflecting a shorter breeding season and higher nest failure rates. This body of work is a fantastic example of how the extraordinary breadth and depth of our data can reveal the drivers of population changes.

migration_mapping_tool_-_pink-footed_goose.png

The new Migration Mapping Tool will be used in ornithological epidemiology, helping researchers track the spread of disease.

But BTO is not only about diagnosing problems: we can also use our data to drive positive change for our birds. For example, our bird population data can be used as a counterfactual – a benchmark for what we expect to happen in the absence of intervention. The success of on-the-ground conservation is demonstrated by the population trends visible in BBS data, which have been more positive for many breeding waders on wet lowland grassland reserves than outside those reserves. Our data can also be used when a difficult conservation balance needs to be found. BBS and Bird Atlas data are helping to guide the establishment of woodland in ways that can help address climate change without having negative impacts on important populations of ground-nesting waders. And, as Avian Influenza continues to spread through populations, our international partnerships will allow us to use Europe-wide data on abundance (in the EuroBirdPortal) and movement patterns revealed by the ringing scheme (EURING) in combination with epidemiological models to develop early warning systems for disease – a vital first step in taking action to limit its impact on bird populations.

Last but not least, there is huge added value of citizen science for those who collect these data. Growing evidence shows how connecting with nature really helps our own mental and physical health and well-being. Being part of any of these schemes is a great way to connect with nature in different ways and play an active role in understanding and conserving it.

This blog was updated on 22.09.22 to include the reference to Hanmer, Boersch-Supan & Robinson Differential changes in life cycle-event phenology provide a window into regional population declines, and on 07.10.22 to include the reference to Calladine, Border, O'Connell & Wilson Modelling important areas for breeding waders as a tool to target conservation and minimise conflicts with land use change.

Please note that these peer-reviewed papers were not published at the time of writing and so were not originally included in the reference list.

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Professor Juliet Vickery addresses the challenge of tackling conservation issues and how BTO data make a difference.

2 August 2022 How BTO data are driving positive change for UK birds

In August, I spoke at the International Ornithological Congress about the power and value of citizen science in bird conservation, showcasing how we can use our survey and monitoring, ringing and nest recording data to identify, understand and solve conservation issues facing the UK’s birds.

24 Aug 2022

Taking part in GSMP

WEBSITEEDITOR — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 08:52:47 +0000

The GSMP monitors the numbers and distribution of wintering goose and swan populations, as well as breeding success. There are various volunteer surveys to take part in, all of which contribute valuable data to our understanding of the sites which support internationally important populations of geese and swans, and of the birds' distribution, demography and breeding success.

Counting geese. Teresa Frost

Monitoring population size and distribution

There are a variety of GSMP surveys that are designed to monitor the size and distribution of the UK’s swan and goose populations; some are undertaken annually, whilst others are carried out periodically.

These surveys require varying levels of expertise, but for the most part, you will need to be confident in your identification of the relevant goose or swan species for the census that you are carrying out. You will also need to have some experience in counting birds, and be confident in your ability to estimate potentially large numbers of birds accurately.

Monitoring breeding success

The annual reproductive success of each of the UK’s migratory swan and native goose populations is assessed through the GSMP, and involves observers recording the number of young birds present amongst flocks. In addition to experience in counting and recording large numbers of birds, you also need to be confident identifying first-winter birds to take part in surveys involving age assessments.

How to get involved

If you are interested in becoming a GSMP volunteer, please contact the GSMP office at gsmp [at] bto.org. You can also contact the GSMP Organiser for more information about taking part in the GSMP.

Icelandic-Breeding Goose Census (IGC)

To find and request to count vacant IGC sites, you can use our interactive map.

Age Assessments

Age Assessments can be carried out on any site, to take part please sign up to GSMP Online via the homepage.

For other GSMP surveys, see the Guide to the Surveys below.

Resources

Health and Safety

BTO provides Health and Safety information for volunteers, which we recommend you read before starting your surveys.

Guide to the surveys

A comprehensive overview of each GSMP survey, including methodology and how to get involved.

GSMP Guide to the Surveys

GSMP Guide to the Surveys (PDF, 4.32 MB)

Recording forms

Recording forms are available to download for the following surveys:

Icelandic-breeding Goose Census (IGC)

Two coordinated IGC counts are made in autumn: sites supporting Pink-footed Geese are surveyed during October and November, whilst those supporting Greylag Geese are counted in November. At sites where both species occur, counts take place in both months.

Icelandic-breeding Goose Census Recording Form

Icelandic-breeding Goose Census Recording Form (PDF, 383.81 KB)

National goose and swan age assessments

These assessments aim to record the age and brood size of all wintering swan and goose species, where age can be determined in the field.

BTO - British Trust for Ornithology - Farmland

The State of the UK's Birds 2020

Woodland species

Results at different scales

Volunteers

Who produces this report?

Breeding Bird Survey

Support the future of our birds

Read the latest BBS report

How to take part

Results

Mammal recording

Count butterflies on your BBS square

How to enter BBS data online

Download BBS forms

Support the future of our birds

Distance functions of carabids in crop fields depend on functional traits, crop type and adjacent habitat: a synthesis

Farmland practices are driving bird population decline across Europe

Inconsistent relationships between area, heterogeneity and plant species richness in temperate farmed landscapes

Using satellite data to assess spatial drivers of bird diversity

My BTO volunteering journey: surveying breeding waders in the Yorkshire Dales

BBS and WBBS

Waterways Breeding Bird Survey: walks along the Wharfe

Preparing for my Breeding Bird Survey

Waders on Wharfedale farms

Breeding Wader Visits to my BBS sites

Inspired by Annie’s story?

Become a BTO volunteer!

Reversing declines in farmland birds: how much agri-environment provision is needed at farm and landscapes scales?

How BTO data are driving positive change for UK birds

BBS data prove benefits of Environmental Stewardship for birds

Why are Willow Warblers decreasing in the south, but not the north?

A tale of two warblers

Research reveals why Willow Warblers breeding in different parts of Britain are affected by climate change in different ways.

Informing decisions for the benefit of breeding waders

Work like this depends on people like you

Taking part in GSMP

Monitoring population size and distribution

Monitoring breeding success

How to get involved

Resources

Health and Safety

Guide to the surveys

Recording forms

BTO Training Courses

Identifying 'grey geese'

Identifying winter swans