BTO - British Trust for Ornithology - Wetland

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.

Wetland Bird Survey

TOMSAGE — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 14:19:38 +0000

WeBS surveyors monitor the UK's internationally important non-breeding waterbirds. Following a tradition begun in 1947, wetland sites are counted once per month, providing data for population and trends in abundance and distribution. Bird IdentificationBird Survey TechniquesWetland Bird Survey Monday, September 1, 1947 - 00:00

The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) monitors non-breeding waterbirds in the UK.

WeBS surveyors monitor the UK's internationally important non-breeding waterbirds. Following a tradition begun in 1947, wetland sites are counted once per month, providing data for population and trends in abundance and distribution. The network of sites legally protected for their importance to wintering waterbirds depends fundamentally on the WeBS counts. "Waterbirds" includes wildfowl (ducks, geese and swans), waders, rails, divers, grebes, cormorants and herons. Gulls and terns are optionally included. In a typical year over 220 waterbird species, races or populations are counted in WeBS, including non-native, feral and vagrant species. National trends are produced for the most numerous 110 of these.

Over 3,000 volunteer counters contribute to the Core Counts survey, making over 40,000 visits each year to 2,800 sites. Each counter adopts a place to count monthly. Non-breeding waterbird numbers peak in different numbers for different species, so counting is done year-round where possible and reported on WeBS years running from July to June, although the core counting season is September to March. As non-breeding waterbirds can be very mobile, the Counts are nationally synchronised, with counters requested to visit during the day on priority Core Count dates (Sundays) if at all possible. At coastal locations, counting is done at high tide. At large sites, several counters will be working as a team. Each counter surveys the whole of their defined count area, known as a WeBS sector, identifying all the waterbird species present and counting the number of individuals of each species. Counters can also add supplementary data, such as evening roost counts of gulls, or casual counts of notable numbers of passage species that are higher than those present on their Core Count visits. There is also a Low Tide Counts scheme where extra counts at low tide are occasionally made on estuaries.

Waterbird indices and trends are produced every year for the annual report, "Waterbirds in the UK". All of these can be viewed on the WeBS Report Online application, with a wealth of other information including the total number of birds recorded at each site, and the peak numbers of each species per year. Results of the Low Tide Counts are also published here, where extra counts are made at Low Tide at certain estuaries each year. For more specialised information, for example for site management, research or environmental impact assessments, there is a bespoke WeBS data request service.

If you are interested in taking part as a counter, the first step is to use the WeBS Vacant Sites tool to see if there are any sites in need of help near you. You need to be able to confidently identify and count all the waterbirds at the site - this might be a few common species at a small lake or river, or it might be a wide range of species at a coastal site with many habitats present. Filling out the online form will put you in touch with your volunteer Local Organiser. There are 140 of these, each covering a region such as a county or estuary. If there are no vacant sites near you but you are keen to get involved, contact the relevant Local Organiser who may be able to set up a new site for you or add you to an existing team.

When you have been assigned a site as a new counter you will receive a new starter pack with more details of the methods. After registering for the WeBS Online data entry system you will be set up for your count sector by your Local Organiser and be able to add your counts each month and see all the previous data for the site. All counters receive a summary annual report and an annual newsletter by post each year and are contributing to the understanding and conservation of our internationally important waterbird populations.

WeBS Report and results

Read the latest report and browse results for all species and sites online.

Find vacant sites

Check the online map of sites that need new WeBS counters – can you help?

Getting started

Find out how to take part in WeBS Core Counts and Low Tide Counts.

Data requests

Access detailed data from WeBS Core Counts and Low Tide Counts.

Contact your local organiser

Discuss taking on a WeBS site or ask for information on WeBS in your area.

Meet the WeBS team

Who’s who in the BTO WeBS team.

waterbirds_in_uk_cover_21-22.jpg

View the latest WeBS report

Waterbirds in the UK presents the results of the annual WeBS report. It provides a single, comprehensive source of information on the current status and distribution of waterbirds in the UK for those interested in the conservation of the populations of these species and the wetland sites they use.

Read Waterbirds in the UK 2021/22

Make your wetland birding count with WeBS

Gillian Birtles

Neil Calbrade

Teresa Frost

1947/48 Start of national wildfowl counting
1966/67 Year from which all counts have been computerised
1969/70 Start of the Birds of Estuaries Enquiry
1993/94 Wildfowl and Estuary counts brought together in the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS)
2006 WeBS Online data entry is launched
2014 WeBS Report Online interactive reporting system is launched
2020 Age/Sex recording feature added to WeBS online

Read WeBS News magazine One visit per month, preferably on the Sunday Core Count priority date. Identify waterbirds that regularly occur at your allocated WeBS site. Contact your local organiser for information on training and mentoring opportunities in your area, or join one of the BTO WeBS training courses.

3.75 million waterbirds are counted for WeBS each year.
WeBS produces annual indices for 110 waterbird species or populations
Species totals published annually for over 2,700 sites as open data on the WeBS Report Online

ongoing Wetland birds volunteers

Donate to support Operation WaderA new partnership for geese and swansWeBS Report: Waterbirds winging n’westwards No webs@bto.org

Mixed fortunes for UK’s herons and egrets

VIOLA.ROSS-SMITH — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 09:54:32 +0000

2024-05 02 Feb 2024

Surveys show colonising egrets and Spoonbills continuing to increase in many parts of the UK, while breeding Grey Herons seem slow in bouncing back following recent declines.

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is marking World Wetlands Day (2 February) with the latest findings from its long-running Heronries Census. First launched back in 1928, the study set out to monitor and estimate the numbers of Grey Herons nesting in Britain. In recent years, the species covered in the census has grown as egrets and other waterbirds formerly restricted to the continent have colonised the UK’s wetlands, considered by many to be a direct result of climate change.

Little Egrets first nested in the UK in 1996 and over the past couple of decades they have been joined by Great White Egrets, Cattle Egrets and Spoonbills. Another bird covered by the census is the Cormorant, which has seen a change in nesting behaviour, with some birds now breeding inland in trees as opposed to on traditional coastal cliffs.

Grey Herons have shown ‘boom and bust’ population rises and dips since the census began almost a century ago, with temporary declines often associated with severe winters. However, the current reduction in breeding numbers is showing little sign of recovery and researchers are concerned that this familiar bird may be heading for the Birds of Conservation Concern Amber List.

Ian Woodward, Research Ecologist at the BTO said “This ongoing survey helps us monitor the overall well-being of nesting heron species across the UK. Thanks to the wealth of information gathered by our dedicated volunteers we can see just how these birds are responding both positively and negatively to changes in the environment.”

He continued “It also goes to show just how important the UK’s wetlands are as essential habitats for many of our resident species as well as those already colonising from the continent, such as Spoonbills, and those showing signs of doing so, such as Glossy Ibis.”

The Heronries Census is a valuable tool in the BTO’s research into the changes occurring within populations of wetland birds and more volunteers are being sought to help fill in some of the missing gaps.

Ian added “Many birdwatchers may be aware of new or small nesting colonies that haven’t yet been recorded by the census, and these could be vital in our understanding of how these species are adapting to change, or colonising new areas. The more information we can gather, the better we will understand just how our nesting herons and egrets are faring in an ever-changing landscape.”

Publication details

For further information about the BTO Heronries Census see here.

Images

Images are available for use alongside this News Release. These can be downloaded from this link for which you will need to enter the password 202405heron. Alternatively, please contact press [at] bto.org quoting reference 2024-05.

Contrasting habitat use between and within Bar-tailed Godwit and Curlew wintering on the Wash, England

MIKETOMS — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 10:51:14 +0000

The Cuckoo cohort of 2024 takes flight!

More Details

Pell, R.J., Clark, J.A. & Robinson, R.A. Wader Study Near Threatened Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica lapponica and Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata winter on the Wash in eastern England in internationally and nationally important numbers respectively. For both species we confirm that there is an excess of males in the wintering population on the Wash; there are different sex ratios on other estuaries. In addition, we found that in winter on the Wash, Curlew, but not Bar-tailed Godwit, use inland areas to feed, with increasing numbers feeding inland through the winter as prey on the intertidal become fewer and less available. Male Curlew are more likely to feed inland on the Wash than females. Although the Wash is protected by various international and national designations and both species are listed features of the Wash Special Protection Area and Ramsar Site, land away from the shore is not protected. However, we demonstrate that these inland fields are functionally linked for Curlew. Should the opportunity for inland feeding on the Wash be lost, this is likely to affect males (particularly the individuals with the shortest bills) disproportionately, which may have implications for the population as a whole (including birds wintering on other estuaries). We recommend consideration of an extension to the protected area to include the field-feeding sites. Furthermore, the phenotypic-related distribution of both species across their wintering range reinforces the need for coordinated range-wide (international) protection to avoid any issues affecting one sex disproportionately. Changes in fisheries practices and Oystercatcher survival, recruitment and body mass in a marginal Cockle fisherySupporting Curlew conservation and understanding wader declinesIdentifying Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwit

Winter Gull Survey relaunched after 20 years to assess vulnerable gull populations

WEBSITEEDITOR — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 17:09:38 +0000

13 Nov 2023

The Winter Gull Survey (WinGS) was created in 1952 to collect information about the population size and distribution of gulls wintering in the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. Over 70 years later the survey’s overarching objective remains the same but is underpinned by a new urgency: a need to understand and address the various gulls’ recently acquired Red and Amber conservation status.

All the gull species that regularly occur in the UK are listed in Birds of Conservation Concern on the Amber or Red List.

Recent assessments of bird populations in the UK have revealed a decline in both breeding and overwintering populations of gulls. As a result, all gull species that regularly occur in the UK are now listed in the assessment on the Amber or Red List in Birds of Conservation Concern.

The declines are worrying because the UK harbours a significant proportion of the global population of breeding gulls of various species: currently, there are over 50 sites in the UK that have been designated as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) or Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) due to the presence of internationally important numbers of gulls during the breeding season. These sites have enhanced legal protection for wildlife, and are often managed by conservation organisations to help boost populations of vulnerable species.

winter_gull_roost_by_ian_sheppard.png

Winter gull roost, by Ian Sheppard.

Wintering gulls in the UK

The UK is also recognised as an important area for gulls during the winter period. Over the colder months, the gulls’ geographic distribution shifts significantly, and the birds often occupy regions outside of their breeding areas. However, these winter ranges are not considered when designating protected sites, which means that there is little targeted conservation for wintering gulls.

In the upcoming WinGS surveys, we aim to address this gap in protected site designation by monitoring overwintering gulls, collecting key information about their population size and distribution, and providing evidence to underpin the conservation of these species.

How will BTO monitor gulls?

wings-volunteer-at-a-roost-count-by-teresa-frost.jpg

WinGS volunteers will visit key gull roost sites at dusk.

Gulls disperse widely over the landscape during daylight hours, making them a tricky group of species to monitor. Their habit of gathering to roost at dusk provides the best way to make accurate assessments of their numbers. WinGS, which will run during the winters of 2023/24 and 2024/25, is a bespoke survey designed to take advantage of this roosting behaviour.

WinGS volunteers will survey known roost sites at large estuaries and reservoirs – ‘key’ sites – and identify and count the gulls in flight as they arrive in huge numbers around dusk. Some major key sites will necessitate team coordination and create fantastic opportunities for surveyors to connect with fellow gull enthusiasts! WinGS also includes planned visits to ‘random’ sample sites at both inland and coastal locations, which will enable us to generate complete UK-wide population estimates.

The comprehensive WinGS roost counts that we will carry out over the next two years will make a significant step towards addressing the information gaps about gull populations that have arisen in the past two decades.

Both the key and random sites need to be visited at least once in January of 2024 and 2025, and also in the autumn of 2024, when we will assess what are known as ‘post-breeding aggregations’ of birds.

Our focus will be directed towards the six most prevalent gull species in the UK: Black-headed, Common, Herring, Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed and Mediterranean Gulls. The Mediterranean Gull was not included as a target species in previous survey seasons of WinGS, but we have decided to include this elegant gull in the scheme in the upcoming surveys due to its increasing reliance on UK sites in the winter months, and the UK’s increasing responsibility for its conservation. This trend was revealed by the BTO/RSPB/JNCC Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS), which saw a sharp increase in the number of these birds recorded at WeBS count sites after 2017.

Charting change

black-headed-gull-by-alan-drewitt-bto.jpg

The Black-headed Gull was the most numerous species during the previous WinGS survey season (2003/04–2005/06), but has declined by as much as 40% since that time.

Long-time BTO survey participants may remember the last WinGS season, which took place during the winters of 2003/04 and 2005/06. At that time, data collected by the survey participants concluded that inland and near-shore coastal waters of the UK supported over 3.8 million wintering gulls.

The most abundant gull species recorded during that survey period was the Black-headed Gull, with an estimated two million birds wintering across the UK. However, more recent population trends based on WeBS data have pointed towards substantial declines of around 40% in this species’ wintering numbers. This trend has no doubt been exacerbated by the effects of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which is thought to have killed around 10% of the total UK breeding population of Black-headed Gulls since March 2023.

WinGS will produce robust evidence and support the development and implementation of effective conservation strategies for the UK’s gulls.

As the previous survey season was so many years ago, we expect to find other changes in the gull populations too. The comprehensive WinGS roost counts that we will carry out over the next two years will make a significant step towards building an up-to-date understanding of how gull populations have altered in the last two decades.

We will combine the information revealed by the WinGS data with that of other key monitoring schemes, including WeBS and the Seabird Monitoring Programme, to produce robust evidence and support the development and implementation of effective conservation strategies for the UK’s gulls.

Learn more about WinGS

Learn about the project’s history and aims, and how to get involved.

Yes

Winter Gull Survey

Waterbird News - Issue 39

NEILCALBRADE — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 12:13:14 +0000

The Cuckoo cohort of 2024 takes flight!

More Details

Emma Caulfield

WEBSITEEDITOR — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:22:42 +0000

Winter Gull Survey Organiser

Emma is responsible for managing the BTO Winter Gull Survey (WinGS) through the coordination of the BTOs Regional Network of volunteers.

MSc Marine Biology, University College Cork, 2023
BSc Zoology, University College Cork, 2022
National Powerboat Certificate, Irish Sailing, 2023
Personal Survival Techniques (PST) STW-95

Emma is responsible for the national coordination of the Winter Gull Survey (WinGS). The main responsibilities of this role include the coordination of Regional Organisers to cover key sites associated with roosting gulls, promotion and communication with the surveyor network and wider public, production of reports and publications based on results and application of the data for recommendations on the designation of protected areas.

Emma is interested in seabird ecology and population monitoring in relation to drivers of decline. She is particularly interested in the effects of human disturbance through ecotourism and how handling/tagging impacts birds’ breeding and foraging behaviour. Her master’s thesis focused on tracking the foraging behaviour of Manx Shearwater on the Saltee Islands and investigating the effects of tags on foraging characteristics such as trip duration and dive depth. She has also completed colony-wide monitoring of Manx Shearwaters on the Calf of Man and Gannets on the Saltee Islands.

Emma also has a passion for citizen science and enjoys community engagement activities, having led a number of walks and talks on seabird identification skills and garden bird calls. Prior to undertaking her current role at BTO, Emma was the Project Manager and Coordinator for a national citizen science project involving the recording of Otters along Irish waterways. This included developing and delivering training information, and coordinating survey efforts across urban areas.

Emma has also managed and coordinated hydromorphological and vegetation surveys of Otter habitat within the rivers of Cork City and County. This involved investigating factors related to the areas where Otters spend most of their time, their physical characteristics and proposing recommendations to planning authorities.

No emma.caulfield@bto.org

Analysis of wintering waterbird population trends for the Lough Neagh and Lough Beg Special Protection Area (SPA)

MIKETOMS — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 10:01:57 +0000

The Cuckoo cohort of 2024 takes flight!

More Details

El Haddad, H., Austin, G., Woodward, I. & Booth Jones, K. 978-1-912642-56-4 Wetland Bird Survey

Lasso Penalisation identifies consistent trends over time in landscape and climate factors influencing the wintering distribution of the Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata)

VIOLA.ROSS-SMITH — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 11:20:02 +0000

The Cuckoo cohort of 2024 takes flight!

More Details

Kenobi, K., Read, W., Bowgen, K., Macgregor, C., Taylor, R., Cámaro García, W., Hodges, C., Dennis, P. & Holloway, P. Ecological Informatics 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2023.102244 Migratory birds are particularly susceptible to climate change and habitat loss due to their reliance on a global network of ecosystems, with waders and seabirds undergoing significant population decline. The Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but breeding populations in Great Britain and the island of Ireland have declined drastically, with the species on the brink of local extinction. We present a set of models of the distribution of Curlew sightings between November and February in the British Isles over the period 2003 to 2019. Using a model selection process (cross-validated lasso regression), we reduce the fairly large set of CORINE satellite land cover classes to a much smaller set of explanatory variables which we combine with environmental variables and fit binomial Generalized Linear Models to Curlew observation records. This enables us to build up a detailed picture of where and when Curlew are sighted between November and February over the 17 years of the study. Reproducibly, from November to January between 2003 and 2019, the coastal land cover classes, Estuaries, Intertidal Flats, Salt Marshes and Port Areas, feature prominently in the sets of explanatory variables selected by the lasso regression. Moreover, this study represents the first regional scale analysis on the impact of landscape and climate features on wintering curlew distribution, identifying the importance of landscape factors that warrant further research, such as the importance of artificial structures and the importance of February within the migration of the Curlew. This research is part of the ECHOES project. ECHOES is funded through the Ireland-Wales Programme 2014-2020 and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government.

Taking part

WEBSITEEDITOR — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 14:41:12 +0000

Find out how you can get involved in fieldwork for the Winter Gull Survey.

What skills do I need to take part?

WinGS is made up of two main counts: those at key gull roost sites, and those at ‘sample squares’ outwith the key sites.

winter_gull_survey_volunteers_mike_lane.png

Taking part in key roost site counts

Volunteers need to be confident that they can:

Count large numbers of birds accurately – roosts often number in the thousands.
Identify all gull species in flight as birds come in to roost, potentially in low light conditions.

In particular, volunteers need to be confident in identifying the six most abundant UK gull species: Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull.

Counting gulls at ‘sample squares’

If your gull ID skills are less comprehensive, you may be able to take part by counting gulls at ‘sample squares’ – additional stretches of coastline and inland areas outwith key sites. These squares are suitable for volunteers with less experience, although you will still need to be able to identify the five commonest gull species.

Improving your skills

If you want to improve your identification skills, or boost your confidence, we have resources to help you. We often run training events covering gull ID, and these are advertised on the BTO events pages.

You can also browse our gull ID videos, which are full of helpful advice for identifying both common and more unusual gull species.

How much time does it take?

The amount of time you spent volunteering for WinGS depends on the count(s) you take part in.

A single visit to a key site around dusk to count roosting gulls, in January 2024 or 2025.
Counting a ‘sample square’ on a single visit in January 2024 or 2025.
A single visit to a key site around dusk to count roosting gulls, in autumn 2024.

You will also need to spend time submitting your data to BTO.

How do I get involved?

Find a site to monitor

Key sites for WinGS counts cover the UK, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Search the Vacant Site Map for available WinGS sites in your area.

Sign-up and survey dates

Sign-up is now open. You now can browse and sign up for WinGS survey sites (both at key roost sites and sample squares). Please bookmark this page and check frequently for the latest updates on taking part.

Oct 2023: Sign-ups for the 2023/24 winter counts begin.
Jan 2024: Survey visit(s) for the 2023/24 winter counts. Key Date: January 21st
Apr 2024: Sign-ups for the 2024 autumn counts begin (dates TBC).
Sept 2024: sign-ups for the 2024/25 winter counts.
Jan 2025: Survey visit(s) for the 2024/25 winter counts. Key Date: January 19th

To request sites, you will need to log in to the WinGS portal.

You will need a MyBTO account to log in to the WinGS portal. If you don’t already have one, you can create a MyBTO account now.

The BTO Regional Network and the National Survey Organiser will coordinate survey allocation to ensure that the required survey coverage is achieved.

Some sites will need to be covered by a team of volunteers carrying out a coordinated count on the same evening. These are the largest roost sites, where a high skill level and/or teams of volunteers will be essential for collecting robust data. If you sign up for a ‘team site’, you will need to liaise with the local organiser or team leader prior to carrying out the counts (their details will be provided for you).

You may also be able to contact your local bird club to find out more; some (though not all) clubs may be organising groups to survey larger sites.

There is a gull roost near me that’s not part of WinGS. What shall I do?

The survey does not attempt cover all small roost sites and the sample sites will be used to estimate the total number of gulls using smaller sites. Records of gulls at smaller roosts (less than a thousand birds in total) can be entered into BirdTrack (www.birdtrack.net). However, if the roost is being used by more than a thousand birds, please contact us to let us know about it at wings [at] bto.org).

Collecting data from your site

Key roost sites

If you have signed up to visit a key roost site, you will count gulls from a fixed point as the birds arrive to roost at dusk. You may do this alone or with a team of other volunteers, especially on larger sites. If your site is part of a larger team site it is important that you liaise with the team leader and cary out the count on the agreed date.

Roost counts at key sites will involve recording a large number of birds, some of which will continue to arrive during and after dusk. We do not expect observers to be able to identify all birds to species, and you will be able to record some gulls as ‘large gull species’ or ‘small gull species’ or even just as ‘gull species’. However, it is important that as many gulls as possible are identified to the species level.

Sample squares

If you are visiting a sample square, either at the coast or inland, you will need to follow the same guidance, although sample sites are standalone sites and will not normally involve working with a team.

We will publish full instructions for data collection closer to the time of the surveys. In the meantime, you can contact wings [at] bto.org with any questions or queries.

Submitting your data

Volunteers will be able to submit their counts via an online data entry system, in the WinGS portal.

However, in the case of some ‘team sites’, counters will submit their data to the team leader for the site who will submit a total count for the site. If you are covering part of a team site, please liaise with the team leader to check how you should submit your data.

Do gull counts I’ve submitted to BirdTrack, or sent to a County Bird Recorder, feed into WinGS?

Like most structured surveys, WinGS has bespoke data needs and therefore, transferring data from one place to another often does not cover all the survey-specific details needed.

The only way to send data to WinGS is through the WinGS Online system, completing all the sections required in the WinGS form.

You can continue to add roost counts to BirdTrack and/or send them directly to your County Bird Recorder if you wish. These data can then be used in a variety of ways from each database.

Resources

Recording forms for data collection

When collecting data, you should use a WinGS-specific recording form. These will be made available on this page prior to the survey counts starting. You can download and print these forms yourself, or request paper copies from wings [at] bto.org.

WinGS Organiser Handbook

Use these links to view or download the WinGS Organiser Handbook. This outlines the responsibilities of WinGS Organisers (WOs), and is a comprehensive guide to using the WinGS Organiser options within WinGS Online.

WinGS Introduction and Overview for WOs

WinGS Introduction and Overview for WOs (PDF, 143.01 KB)
Organising WinGS Counts and Counters

Organising WinGS Counts and Counters (PDF, 103.57 KB)
Using WinGS Online for WOs

Using WinGS Online for WOs (PDF, 757.07 KB)
WinGS Methodology for WOs

WinGS Methodology for WOs (PDF, 268.67 KB)

WinGS Counter Resources

Use these links to view or download the WinGS Counters Resources. These documents outline the aims and methods of WinGS for Counters.

WinGS Introduction and Overview for Counters (PDF, 506.00 KB)
WinGS Methodology and Counting Techniques (PDF, 448.00 KB)
WinGS Online for Counters (PDF, 787.07 KB)

WinGS Recording Forms

Inland Key Recording Form (PDF, 151.79 KB)
Inland Sample Recording Form (PDF, 151.87 KB)
Coastal Key Recording Form (PDF, 150.79 KB)
Coastal Sample Recording Form (PDF, 152.49 KB)

Health and Safety information for volunteers

WinGS involves evening-time observations of inland and coastal water bodies in mid January and in autumn.

Before you take part in this survey, please assess any site-specific risks you may encounter. Risks are likely to relate to cold weather and conditions of low light. If weather conditions are adverse or access to your site becomes dangerous in snowy or icy conditions please postpone any survey efforts.

We recommend you read BTO’s guidance for volunteer fieldworkers before starting your surveys.

Get in touch

Email us

Would you like to find out more about WinGS?

Drop us a line: wings [at] bto.org

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Sign up for the WinGS Newsletter to hear the latest information about survey news, monitoring sites and scheme methodology.

Terms and Conditions of taking part

Standard Terms and Conditions

In participating in this British Trust for Ornithology (“BTO”, “Us”, “We”) activity, scheme or survey (“Project”) you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions:

Personal data and maintaining contact

If you are providing your name, address and other personal details, BTO will store and use your personal details in line with our published Privacy Policy (www.bto.org/about/privacy-statement or you can request a copy direct). You can specify your preferences surrounding the way we contact you at any time (email info [at] bto.org, or phone 01842 750050).

More specifically with regard to this project, in order to administer your participation and to verify the data you submit, we may need to be able to contact you (usually by email, overriding any other contact preference regarding receiving email). We may need to provide your name and email address to third parties, in case they need to contact you to verify the biological data you submit.

Biological data that you submit to us

A key charitable objective of BTO is to pursue scientific knowledge and conservation outcomes, in the public interest. By submitting contributions of biological and observational data to BTO you grant us perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, sub-licensable permission to use, modify and redistribute the data as we see fit, to further this objective. This may include providing data you submit to third parties for the purposes of verification, processing and further analysis and use.

You give us this permission non-exclusively, meaning that you yourself still own your contribution. You may use, distribute or modify your individual contribution in any way you like. However, you do not possess ownership of any BTO dataset itself.

Some BTO projects allow participants to flag certain records as 'sensitive', enabling us to manage the way in which information may be displayed. Subject to project-specific terms and conditions, such 'sensitive' records may be made available to appropriate third parties, according to partnership agreements or at the discretion of BTO.

You may not contribute data to BTO that you neither own, nor have express permission to contribute on behalf of another individual or organisation.

Specific Terms and Conditions applying to those who register for the WinGS Online Surveys

In addition to the standard terms and conditions, you also agree to the following:

As stated in the ‘Personal data and maintaining contact’ section of the standard terms and conditions, we may need to provide your name and email address to third parties, in case they need to contact you to verify the biological data you submit.

For WinGS, we may also need to provide your name and email address to third parties so that they can contact you to co-ordinate the surveying of a site that requires a team of volunteers to cover. Such third parties for WinGS may include WinGS Local Organisers and/or WinGS Team Leaders).

You agree that any information you supply through WinGS Online (with the exception of personal data, see Privacy Policy www.bto.org/about/privacy-statement) may be disseminated at the discretion of the WinGS partners, including under the Open Government Licence (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/).

You confirm that if you are submitting information on behalf of anyone else then they have also agreed that their information may be disseminated in the same manner.

You agree that any information you obtain from within the WinGS Online application (other than counts submitted by you) will not be used in any presentation, publication, report, etc. or be passed on to a third party without prior written permission from the BTO. However, a distinction is made with the WeBS Report Online (www.bto.org/webs-reporting), to which information from WinGS may be published as supplementary data.

Information from WinGS may be used under the Open Government Licence with appropriate attribution, if published in the WeBS Report Online or any other such facility that states permission is given for data re-use under licence.

You accept that whilst every effort is made to ensure data held by the WinGS partners are correct, the WinGS partners cannot accept responsibility for any errors in data provided. You accept that the WinGS partners cannot be held responsible for any misuse or misinterpretation of WinGS data.