BirdTrack rare species policy
Rare resident and breeding birds face a number of threats, including illegal persecution and egg collecting, as well as potential inadvertent disturbance at sensitive sites. In consultation with the Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) and the Irish Rare Breeding Birds Panel (IRBBP), the sightings of some species are hidden on public outputs. This may be year round, during the breeding season (March – July) or in the winter months (November – February).
For records of species not covered by the rare species policy that are in potentially sensitive locations, there is the option of using the 'Sensitive' records flag in BirdTrack. To use this option, click on 'Optional' when entering your records online and then clicking on 'Notable'. All you need to do is click on 'Yes' under 'Sensitive'. This option is also available in the BirdTrack app in the 'Optional' submenu.
If you notice any records of possible sensitive species, please do get in touch with the BirdTrack team.
Species | Britain | Ireland |
Whooper Swan | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Wigeon | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Pintail | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Garganey | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Common Scoter | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Goldeneye | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Black Grouse | Year round | |
Capercaillie | Year round | |
Golden Pheasant | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Lady Amherst's Pheasant | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Red-throated Diver | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Black-throated Diver | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Red-necked Grebe | Breeding season | Year round |
Slavonian Grebe | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Black-necked Grebe | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Leach's Petrel | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Bittern | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Little Bittern | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Cattle Egret | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Little Egret | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Spoonbill | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Honey-buzzard | Year round | Year round |
Red Kite | Year round | Year round |
White-tailed Eagle | Year round | Year round |
Marsh Harrier | Breeding season | Year round |
Hen Harrier | Year round | Year round |
Montagu's Harrier | Year round | Year round |
Goshawk | Year round | Year round |
Golden Eagle | Year round | Year round |
Osprey | Year round | Year round |
Merlin | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Hobby | Year round | Year round |
Peregrine | Year round | Year round |
Spotted Crake | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Baillon's Crake | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Corncrake | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Crane | Year round | Year round |
Great Bustard | Year round | |
Black-winged Stilt | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Avocet | Year round | |
Stone-curlew | Year round | Year round |
Little Ringed Plover | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Dotterel | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Temminck's Stint | Breeding season | Year round |
Purple Sandpiper | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Ruff | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Black-tailed Godwit | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Greenshank | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Wood Sandpiper | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Red-necked Phalarope | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Arctic Skua | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Mediterranean Gull | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Yellow-legged Gull | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Roseate Tern | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Little Tern | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Turtle Dove | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Barn Owl | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Eurasian Eagle-Owl | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Snowy Owl | Winter | Year round |
Long-eared Owl | Year round | Year round |
Short-eared Owl | Breeding season | Year round |
Wryneck | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker | Breeding season | |
Woodlark | Year round | Year round |
Yellow Wagtail | Breeding season | |
Ring Ouzel | Breeding season | |
Bluethroat | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Black Redstart | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Nightingale | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Fieldfare | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Redwing | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Lesser Whitethroat | Year round | |
Marsh Warbler | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Icterine Warbler | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Dartford Warbler | Year round | Year round |
Wood Warbler | Breeding season | |
Firecrest | Breeding season | Year round |
Pied Flycatcher | Breeding season | |
Bearded Tit | Breeding season | Year round |
Golden Oriole | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Red-backed Shrike | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Chough | Year round | Year round |
Carrion Crow | Breeding season | |
Raven | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Brambling | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Twite | Year round | |
Common Crossbill | Breeding season | Year round |
Parrot Crossbill | Breeding season | |
Common Rosefinch | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Hawfinch | Breeding season | Year round |
Lapland Bunting | Breeding season | Breeding season |
Snow Bunting | Breeding season | Year round |
Cirl Bunting | Breeding season | |
Corn Bunting | Year round |
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