GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count shows farmer-led conservation is working - Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust

The results of this year’s GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count (BFBC) point clearly to the success of agri-environment schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and make a strong case for government continuing to invest in farmer-led conservation, in order to meet nature recovery targets.

The 2025 Big Farmland Bird Count was launched on 7 February by farmer and TV personality Adam Henson on his Cotswold Farm in Gloucestershire.

Run by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) since 2014, and sponsored by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), the BFBC encourages farmers and land owners to go out and count the species and number of birds on their land during a two-week window in February every year.

During the 2025 BFBC a total of 358,913 birds, belonging to 125 species, were recorded across 699,869 acres (283,227 hectares) of farmland by 1,369 farmers, land managers or their helpers.

There were notable decreases in sightings of some species, including red-listed fieldfares which were down 52%, long-tailed tits which were down 27%, and curlew with a 25% drop, year-on-year. On a positive note, recordings of red-listed common gulls were up 112% and sightings of amber-listed kestrels had increased by 182%.

In total 145,681 red-listed birds were counted including 26 different species. Of these the most abundant were starling, lapwing, common gull, linnet and fieldfare.

Andrew Goodall, a bird expert and enthusiast, who helps farmers in East Anglia with their surveys, and carried out 32 counts this year – more than two a day and a record-number for any BFBC participant.

Taking part in the launch at Adam’s Cotswold Farm Park, Andrew counted the birds he saw on the day. It was the first time Adam and the Cotswold Park Farm have taken part in the BFBC

Andrew said: “We walked through a variety of habitats including arable, hedgerows, scrub and grassland. Stopping and listening to presentations enroute did allow me the opportunity to scan the fields and bushes for birds. It was pleasing to count about 20 redwing flitting through the bushes in search of food. These birds like their cousins, the fieldfare visit us from Scandinavia for the winter. Redwing will feed on grassland, also woodland and under scrub in the leaf litter, so untidy areas are great for these beautiful thrushes.”