BTO - British Trust for Ornithology - Monitoring

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.

Garden Bird Feeding Survey

WILLIAMSKELLORN — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 10:22:42 +0000

The Garden Bird Feeding Survey (GBFS) has charted the use of food supplements by birds in gardens for over 40 years. The network of householders that participate in the survey extends across the UK.

Garden BirdWatch Friday, May 1, 1970 - 00:00

For over 40 winters, GBFS has charted dramatic comings and goings at bird feeders. The survey has seen this activity evolve from a small-scale pastime based mainly on the provision of kitchen scraps to a multi-million pound industry. Indeed, it is estimated that around half of UK householders feed birds in their garden providing some 50-60 thousand tonnes of bird food per annum. With increased commercialisation has come a plethora of new bird foods and associated feeding equipment. The GBFS results suggest that these changes have opened the garden gate to many once infrequent garden visitors.

Only a relatively small number of people participate in the GBFS each winter. Gardens are chosen carefully from existing members of the Garden BirdWatch survey, ensuring good coverage across the UK and a roughly even split between rural and suburban gardens.

Participants often stay with the GBFS for a number of winters (some have even spanned the past four decades!) but occasionally people drop out. As and when vacancies become available participants from the larger Garden BirdWatch survey are approached to take their place. Thanks to the dedicated observations of GBFS participants over 40 years of data have now been collected.

Existing Garden BirdWatchers can help reveal how the food we provide affects the birds visiting our gardens Watch what your garden birds eat to provide additional insights

1970/71 - GBFS commences
01/1995 - Garden BirdWatch launches - GBFS participants drawn from GBW

Small amount of time required in addition to usual weekly Garden BirdWatch count. Must be a preexisting Garden BirdWatch member, selected to participate. Confident garden bird identification skills. Develop your bird identification skills with our courses and training days.

ongoing Garden birds volunteers No

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

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

BirdTrack

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

Whether you record the birds in your local park or when you go birdwatching further afield you can add them to BirdTrack and see how your records develop over months and years.

You can add casual records of species you see whilst out and about or record everything you identify at your favourite birding locations. BirdTrack is flexible with a mobile app - add your sightings on the go from anywhere in the world.

BirdTrack Thursday, January 1, 2004 - 00:00

BirdTrack is a free and convenient way of storing your bird records online. BirdTrack lets you keep up to date with what others are seeing, view the latest trends, and contribute your data to BTO science.

Created through a partnership between the BTO, the RSPB, BirdWatch Ireland, the Scottish Ornithologists' Club and the Welsh Ornithological Society, BirdTrack is an exciting project that looks at migration movements and distributions of birds throughout Britain and Ireland.

BirdTrack provides facilities for observers to store and manage their own personal records as well as using these to support species conservation at local, regional, national and international scales.

Taking part in BirdTrack is easy and fun. You simply provide some information about yourself, the sites where you go birdwatching, when you go birdwatching and most importantly, the birds you identify! BirdTrack allows you to store all of your bird records in a safe, easily accessible and interactive format.

To participate in BirdTrack you just need to do the following:

Go birdwatching and note all the species that you see.
Go to the BirdTrack web site and register an account. If you have taken part in any other online survey organised by the BTO then please use your existing username and password.
Enter the location of your chosen site(s) or select from a popular site.
Enter the date and time of your visit and the site you visited.
Record the species you saw or heard on your visit.

We hope that you will have great fun participating in BirdTrack and that you will return to the website frequently to enter more data and to find out what's happening in your area and around the country.

National and regional summaries updated every night throughout the year.
View all of your own records and compare them with the regional figures.

Record on the go with BirdTrack Apps

Log your bird sightings anywhere in the world - Learn more about our mobile apps.

Works without a network/WiFi connection
'Smart' species dropdown for adding sightings, listing most commonly recorded species first
Sync all your existing BirdTrack places and upload everything into your BirdTrack account

Go beyond just data entry and use the app to

View a map of recent sightings
View target species that you haven't seen this year / ever
View your year and life lists

Delve into your records

Use the 'Explore my records' function in BirdTrack to view your data in a range of exciting ways.

View your life and year lists at global, regional or local levels
View maps of all your birding locations
Extract the data as tables and graphs

Getting started

Taking part is quick and easy.

BirdTrack apps

Add your records on the go with our iPhone and Android apps.

Explore your records

Delve into your records to view your data in a range of exciting ways.

c_bennytrapp_stock.adobe_.com_bto_55.png

Keep your finger on the migration pulse this autumn

Your BirdTrack data allows us to follow the arrival and departure of migrants through the seasons.

What's been seen this week? How will the weather affect migration next week? And which species will be arriving near you?

Visit the blog

Contact BirdTrack

Britain

BirdTrack Organiser
c/o BTO, The Nunnery
Thetford, Norfolk
IP24 2PU

Tel: +44 (0)1842 750050

Email: birdtrack [at] bto.org

Ireland

BirdWatch Ireland (BirdTrack contact)
c/o BirdWatch Ireland
Unit 20, Block D
Bullford Business Campus
Kilcoole, Greystones
Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Tel: +353 579151676

Email: bcaffrey [at] birdwatchireland.ie

Record your sightings on the go with BirdTrack

Scott Mayson

2002 Migration watch started, with the initial aim of mapping migration
2004 Re-named BirdTrack and expanded to cover all seasons
2013 BirdTrack apps released on iOS and android
2014 BirdTrack global portal released, allowing data to be entered from anywhere in the world
2019 BirdTrack moved to a single site handling both British/Irish records and those from elsewhere in the world
2021 Additional taxa added to BirdTrack: Amphibians, Butterflies, Dragonflies, Mammals, Orchids, and Reptiles can all be recorded
2022 Link to iRecord set-up to facilitate a daily flow of non-avian records from BirdTrack to iRecord
2022 New revised version of the mobile app released.

There is no minimum time commitment. Ideally you will have fairly good bird identification skills.

any time Garden birdsFarmland birdsSeabirdsUpland birdsUrban birdsWetland birdsWoodland birds volunteers

BTO Urban AppealBTO and COVID-19BirdTrack migration blog (Mid-April - May) Yes birdtrack@bto.org

Help us track the outbreak of avian influenza with BirdTrack

You can now send us sightings of sick and dead birds through BirdTrack. These records give us a real-time picture of the locations and species affected by the disease, to help us track its impact and spread.

Please remember to report all dead birds to Defra (England, Scotland and Wales) or Daera (Northern Ireland) as well, to assist in efforts to test dead birds for the disease.

More information about avian influenza can be found on our dedicated avian influenza page.

Nest Record Scheme

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

Nest Record Scheme participants gather vital information on the breeding success of Britain's birds by following the progress of individual nests.

Nest Recording Saturday, April 1, 1939 - 00:00

Every year almost 750 NRS participants monitor over 35,000 nests of different bird species in a variety of habitats. Thanks to the dedication of these volunteers, the BTO and other scientists can use the Nest Record Scheme’s unparalleled long-term dataset to assess the impacts that changes in the environment, such as habitat loss and global warming, have on the productivity of wild birds.

You can participate whether it’s by following the progress of a few nests in your local area, erecting and monitoring boxes or becoming a highly skilled nest finder. As with all BTO surveys, the welfare of birds comes first and we expect all participants to follow the Code of Conduct, a set of precautions designed to ensure that monitoring a nest does not harm or put it at risk.

Want to monitor a small number of nests in your garden?

You might prefer our simple to use garden nest recording survey, called Nesting Neighbours.

Find out more

Help us continue our vital surveys

Increased pressure on funding is putting our surveys at risk, threatening our ability to drive positive change for the UK’s birds. We need your support.

Donate today

LifeCycle

The biannual magazine of the British & Irish Ringing Scheme and the Nest Record Scheme

NRS Code of Conduct

An essential set of rules for safe and ethical nest monitoring, to be followed by all NRS volunteers

DemOn

Help and support using our online data entry system

Results

See the latest results from NRS volunteers' data

NRS Mentors

Get guidance from an experienced nest recorder

Nest boxes

Learn about building, buying and siting boxes for different species

Nest Record Scheme participants gather vital information on the breeding success of Britain's birds by following the progress of individual nests. Help monitor nests to capture vital life cycle data

Lee Barber

Early Feb Look out for early nesters like Long-tailed Tit
Late Apr Most residents and migrants now nesting
Early Sep Still time for late nesters like Goldfinch and Woodpigeon
End Oct Records needed for early analysis of the season
End Jan Records needed for full analysis of the season

Read LifeCycle magazine A few minutes on a nest in a garden to a full time project in the field. Count eggs and chicks in nests by following the Code of Conduct. Improve your nest-finding skills on our training courses or contact an NRS mentor.

ongoing Garden birdsFarmland birdsUpland birdsUrban birdsWetland birdsWoodland birds volunteers

LifeCycle issue 10, Spring 2021BTO and COVID-19 No nrs@bto.org

Garden BirdWatch

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

Help with research into garden wildlife by joining our Garden BirdWatch network for free.

Garden BirdWatch Sunday, January 1, 1995 - 00:00

BTO has run the year-round Garden BirdWatch scheme since 1995, and thousands of people across the UK contribute their sightings each week.
Gardens are really important habitats for wildlife, but we need to understand how and why populations of garden birds and other wildlife are changing, and how we can help them.
You can help by keeping a simple list and telling us which species visit each week, helping us learn about how wildlife uses the food, shelter and other resources in our gardens.
The more we can understand about how birds and animals use our gardens, the more we can improve our cities, towns, villages and individual gardens for wildlife.
Sign up for Garden BirdWatch!

How to take part

Garden BirdWatch annual results

Drawing competition winners

Join Garden BirdWatch for free

Tell us which birds you see outside your window and become more connected to nature.

Join and start your list today

Help with research into garden wildlife by joining our Garden BirdWatch community. Learn about the birds in your garden with Garden BirdWatch

Robert Jaques

Jan 1995 - Garden BirdWatch recording begins
Dec 2010 - Big Garden Beakwatch Survey launched
Dec 2011 - Abnormal Plumage Survey launched
Jan 2014 - Garden Wildlife Health project launched

Subscribe to email newsletter As much as you like, but a minimum of 20 minutes per week recommended. Can identify common garden birds by sight.

ongoing Garden birdsUrban birds volunteers

BTO Urban AppealGarden BirdWatch and our garden and urban bird researchOur volunteers: the beating heart of BTO data No gbw@bto.org

Join GBW for free

Become more connected to nature, learn about your garden wildlife and contribute to important scientific research by joining our community of Garden BirdWatchers.

Join Garden BirdWatch today

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.

Avian responses to climate extremes: insights into abundance curves and species sensitivity using the UK Breeding Bird Survey

VIOLA.ROSS-SMITH — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 13:32:31 +0000

The Cuckoo cohort of 2024 takes flight!

More Details

Tirozzi, P., Massimino, D. & Bani, L. Oecologia 10.1007/s00442-023-05504-9 Climate change remains one of the most urgent challenges for biodiversity conservation. Recent studies have highlighted that climate extremes (CLEXs) can lead to widespread and negative efects across all taxa and ecological levels, but most of these studies are based on short-term periods and small spatial scales and lack a multi-species approach. Here, using generalised additive models (GAMs) and the UK Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), we described response curves for the abundance of 100 resident bird species over large spatial and temporal scales and identifed the species showing a greater sensitivity to CLEXs. We used fve climatic indices computed at 1-km spatial resolution as proxies of CLEXs during the winter or breeding season and considered both 1- and 2-year lagged efects. The results demonstrated widespread and signifcant efects of CLEXs on bird abundances at both time lags and in both seasons. Winter frost days (FD0), summer days (SU25) during the breeding season and simple precipitation intensity index (SDII) during the breeding season mainly showed negative efects. Daily temperature range (DTR) in both winter and breeding season and dry days (DD) during the breeding season led to diversifed responses across the species, with a prevalence of positive efects. A large proportion of species showed a high sensitivity to CLEXs, highlighting that these species may deserve attention in future studies aimed at biodiversity conservation. We demonstrated that CLEXs can represent a signifcant driver afecting population abundances over large spatial and temporal scales, emphasising the need for understanding mechanistic processes at the basis of the observed efects. The authors thank all surveyors who have taken part in the Breeding Bird Survey, a partnership funded by the British Trust for Ornithology, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Joint Nature
Conservation, with feldwork conducted by volunteers.

Volunteers needed to count winter gulls

MIKETOMS — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 08:54:24 +0000

2023-29 05 Dec 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE USE

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has put today out a call for volunteers, able to identify our common wintering gull species, as part of an important project to understand and conserve these birds, which are of conservation concern because of their declining breeding populations.

In winter, gulls flock together to roost communally on lakes, reservoirs and estuaries across the UK, in groups that can number many hundreds or even thousands of individuals. Understanding where these roosts occur, and the numbers of birds using them, is key to helping us to protect these birds.

The Winter Gull Survey is a long-running monitoring programme, which has taken place approximately every 10 years since 1953. However, there has been a gap of nearly 20 years since the last survey so a new survey is much-needed. The project’s overarching aim is to provide robust information on the numbers and distributions of wintering gulls, many of which are of conservation concern and appear on either the Birds of Conservation Concern Red or Amber List.

The Winter Gull Survey (WinGS) will run over the winters of 2023/24 and 2024/25 and volunteers are needed to cover survey sites in the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The volunteers will visit roost sites used by wintering gulls, counting all gull species but with particular focus on six key species: Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Mediterranean Gull and Great Black-backed Gull.

BTO is seeking volunteer birdwatchers who are confident that they can:

count large numbers of birds accurately – roosts can number thousands of individuals and birds gather in late afternoon as the light fades.
identify the six most abundant UK gull species: Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Mediterranean Gull and Great Black-backed Gull.

Potential volunteers can find out more about the survey, the availability of survey sites near them, and how to sign up by visiting the project webpage https://www.bto.org/wings

Emma Caulfield, the Survey Organiser for WinGS, said "Information collected in this winter’s survey will start to fill the gaps in our knowledge which have developed since the last survey 20 years ago. This is particularly important given that gulls have been impacted by the ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), and we are still seeking to understand the full implications of this."

Dawn Balmer, BTO Head of Surveys, said "Many of our gull species are experiencing significant declines in their breeding populations, hence their conservation status, and we urgently need to improve our understanding of where and in what numbers they winter."