BBS Reports

About the Breeding Bird Survey Report

The annual Breeding Bird Survey report is published each year by BTO. It documents the population trends of around 120 UK breeding birds, based on data gathered by volunteers through the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). Since 2016, the Breeding Bird Survey Report has also included population trends of specialist waterbird species, again based on volunteer-collected data from the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Waterways Breeding Bird Survey (WBBS). 

The report is produced by the BBS National Organiser at BTO, with population trends produced by BTO Data Scientists and Research Ecologists. The population trends and indices in the report are Official Statistics, so follow standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. This ensures that published government statistics are high-quality and produced by trustworthy organisations.

Information in the report

The population trend information for breeding birds is provided for the UK, England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as well as for English regions. Data collected on the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands contribute towards the UK trends. These trends and indices provide robust evidence on the way that wild bird populations are changing in these regions.

In addition to data and trends about UK breeding birds, the Breeding Bird Survey Report includes:

• Articles by authors from the BBS and WBBS partners (BTO, JNCC and RSPB) about the role of BBS data in conservation, and updates on newly published or ongoing research using BBS data
• An overview of BBS and WBBS methodology and guidelines for interpreting the annual results of the survey
• The results of BBS mammal monitoring and the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey, optional additional elements of BBS monitoring
• Acknowledgement and thanks to organisations and individuals who have supported the scheme through funding or volunteering

Impact of the Breeding Bird Survey Report

The BBS and the WBBS are the main schemes for monitoring the population changes of the UK’s widespread breeding birds. The results published in the Breeding Bird Survey Report are used widely by Defra and the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies (SNCBs, e.g. Natural England and NatureScot) to set priorities and to inform conservation action, and as the evidence base against which the UK’s biodiversity targets are measured.

The Breeding Bird Survey Report is just one of many valuable publications produced using BBS data. It sits alongside other regular Official Statistics such as the Wild Bird Indicators, contributions to the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (PECBMS) and the regular Birds of Conservation Concern assessments, which organisations including BTO, JNCC and RSPB use to identify species in rapid decline that need urgent conservation action.

In practice, this means that trends from the Breeding Bird Survey report contribute directly to the conservation and management of our wild bird populations. BBS data are routinely used to assess the effectiveness of agricultural policies designed to benefit wildlife, and in particular, the impact of agri-environment schemes (AES) on breeding birds. More recently the data have also been used to evaluate the benefits of protected areas designated for wildlife, like Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). Recently, researchers at BTO have also used BBS data to investigate the impacts of climate change on the UK’s birds, and the role of disease in bird population declines.

Further information

Further information, including population trend graphs, is available online for the Breeding Bird Survey and the Waterways Breeding Bird Survey.

Full species-by-species discussion of these results, and of results from other surveys, can be found on BirdFacts.

• View the latest Breeding Bird Survey Report
• Browse all Breeding Bird Survey Reports