Breeding Bird Survey celebrates 30 years of citizen science - British Trust for Ornithology

Published today, the latest BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) looks at the fortunes of our bird populations and celebrates the Pearl Anniversary of a pioneering volunteer-led national study.

The report shows continued increases for such species as Red Kite and Nuthatch while also revealing continued severe declines for other birds, including Swift and Curlew.

BBS is the main scheme for monitoring the population changes of the UK’s common and widespread breeding birds, producing population trends for 119 species.

During the breeding season, birds are at their busiest and wherever we may live, there will be a nest not too far away. Whether it is a Blackbird in the park or a Mallard with ducklings on the local canal, many of us can witness the frenzied activity that this season brings.

For thousands of birdwatchers however, this is not just a time to casually observe these annual rituals - it signifies a period of dedicated, systematic information gathering which can help shape conservation outcomes.

For 30 years, a total of nearly 9,000 skilled enthusiasts have been contributing essential data to the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), one of the UK’s longest-running citizen science initiatives. The BBS is a partnership project organised by British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

View the full Breeding Bird Survey Report