Birds in Greenspaces

The BTO Birds in Greenspaces project aims to find out just how important greenspaces are for UK birds, and provide guidance on effective greenspace management for birds and people – and we want your help!

Birds in Greenspaces is a new, UK-wide survey of birds that use our greenspaces. We want local groups and individuals to take part in this huge, new citizen science survey, so we can understand how people and birds interact with greenspaces, and make them better for all those that use them.

The survey is set to launch in 2025 and public registration will open later this year, but we are currently inviting groups and organisations to register their interest.

If you are interested in volunteering as an individual, watch this space for updates on how to take part!

What are greenspaces?

Greenspaces are public-access areas of any type of vegetation found in built-up areas.

They can be recreational spaces like parks and playing fields, but also include places such as cemeteries, allotments and university campuses.

Greenspaces and birds

Greenspaces are important habitats for birds because they provide shelter, food, and other resources that can’t be found in the built-up areas around them. Unfortunately, these spaces are understudied and are not always managed in ways that fulfil the needs of birds and other wildlife.

Greenspaces and people

For many people, greenspaces provide their only access to nature, and visiting these spaces can provide a number of health benefits.

Birds in Greenspaces aims to motivate people to make the most of their local greenspace and experience the positive effects of interacting with nature, while learning more about it.

In turn, we can provide tailored outputs to help land managers create better habitats which enhance these connections.

Young people walking in a park, by Nappy

With the right evidence, we can work out how best to integrate management to benefit both birds and people in our urban areas.

About the Birds in Greenspaces project

Birds in Greenspaces is an exciting opportunity for participants to learn about the wildlife in their local area.

By recording which and how many birds are using greenspaces, volunteers will be helping to generate important data. We can use this data to create detailed habitat management plans for different types of greenspaces in different contexts, and to highlight how vital these areas are for our national bird populations.

Who can participate?

Anyone can take part in Birds in Greenspaces. We will be offering recording options that are accessible to everyone alongside surveys suitable for more experienced birdwatchers, with thousands of survey sites in villages, towns, and cities across the UK.

We want this project to engage all groups and organisations, not just those with a background in natural history. Greenspaces are not only for wildlife and any management strategies we propose have to work for people too.

We encourage any groups who are interested to sign up and help us design the details of the project – we want to know what you want to know!

“Citizen science is a really powerful way to collect invaluable data on wildlife at a large scale, while increasing people’s engagement with nature at the same time.

Greenspaces are accessible to and important for millions of people in the UK, and we can help to improve them for the benefit of nature and of local communities.”

Ieuan Evans,
Director of Engagement

Register your interest and get involved in project co-design

We want as many people as possible to participate, so we are inviting groups and organisations to register their interest and sign up to receive updates on the project’s progress and how to get involved in project co-design. To register, please get in touch by 31 July:

Fill in a short Google Form or
Email greenspaces [at] bto.org

Alternatively, if you would like to be kept up-to-date but don’t wish to engage at this stage, you can sign up to receive information about the project at any time.