Wader Hub
The Wader Hub is a central resource for the most widely-used breeding wader monitoring methods, with supporting guidance, links to relevant projects, and practical data entry systems.
About the Wader Hub
Wader conservation in the UK
The UK benefits from a substantial and diverse community dedicated to wader conservation; local wader projects come in all shapes and sizes, attracting people from a wide range of backgrounds.
Discussions on wader conservation and land management in the UK can generate strong feelings. Differing personal and professional experiences can lead to differing views about the most effective ways to enhance wader populations, but most stakeholders agree it is important that the discussion remains focused on evidence.
Collecting robust and trustworthy evidence
Evidence is most likely to be widely trusted when it is drawn from datasets that are fully inclusive, contributed to and accessible by a wide and representative range of individuals and groups.
BTO has a strong track record of impartially collecting, curating and communicating evidence, together with scientific and funding partner organisations and a large and diverse community of volunteer surveyors via our national bird monitoring schemes.
Benefits of the Wader Hub
In the Wader Hub, we have drawn together the most widely-used breeding wader monitoring methods, with supporting guidance, links to relevant projects, and practical data entry systems.
This Hub is intended to make best-practice monitoring guidance available to individuals and groups that could benefit from it.
Eventually, we hope that wider resources provided by the Hub will allow participants and contributors to build a broad, transparent evidence base that can be accessed by everyone.
This will help to foster understanding and agreement between diverse groups of observers and users of this evidence about what works, when, where, and why in wader conservation.
Hub development
Phase 1
BTO and our partners have developed guidance and data entry options to support the most widely used breeding wader monitoring methods: surveys and nest monitoring. This is the first step towards being able to compare data across UK wader projects, but this will be a lengthy process. We will continue to develop and improve these materials in partnership with local groups.
Phase 2
We plan to further update and develop existing guidance and data entry systems. This will include options to collect and report on habitat and management information, to facilitate assessment of the relative impacts of different threats and conservation interventions.
Guides and resources
Core methods supported by the Wader Hub
Information about wader survey methods, as well as nest monitoring and reporting incidental sightings.
First steps for projects
Guidance and advice to support you through the stages of setting up a wader monitoring project.
Wader Map
The Wader Map is home to the maps illustrating variation in the abundance of nine breeding wader species. If you, or a local group or project you are part of, are doing anything to help monitor or conserve breeding waders, you can also add your project’s details to the Wader Map and check to see whether there are any local wader projects you can collaborate with or seek advice or support from.
Other national monitoring schemes
Learn about other schemes which also collect data about wader distribution, abundance and demography.
Downloadable resources
Browse our downloadable resources for wader monitoring projects.
Data and trends for breeding waders
BirdFacts provides key information about the UK’s birds and their changing fortunes, based on data collected by BTO and partner organisations.
- View the BirdFacts page for Curlew, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Redshank or Snipe.
- Search for another wader species >
- Visit the BirdFacts homepage >
Other information
You may also find the following websites and resources from the Wader Hub partners useful:
- Working for Waders tackles the decline of wading birds across Scotland. Information includes grassland management strategies for waders and information about a wader nest camera project.
- The Curlew Recovery Partnership provides coordination and support to those engaged in Curlew conservation. Resources include a Curlew Fieldworker Toolkit and Curlew survey and monitoring guidance.
Contact the Wader Hub
Get in touch
We can offer advice about any of the Hub’s supported methods, and about wader monitoring more widely.
- waders [at] bto.org
Guides and resources
All our bespoke Wader Hub resources, from support for new projects to detailed information about survey techniques.
Send us your feedback
We want the Wader Hub to be as valuable as possible for everyone involved in wader conservation. Send us your feedback:
Partners and Funders
The Wader Hub is a joint initiative between the British Trust for Ornithology, the Curlew Recovery Partnership England and Working for Waders.
Funding was generously provided by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
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