NRS annual totals

The table below shows the number of nests monitored per species for the Nest Record Scheme in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and in total since the survey started in 1939.

Species in the table that are marked with an asterisk are ones for which we particularly wish to encourage more monitoring because although they are common we receive relatively few records for them. The species shown in italics are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, which means it is illegal to approach their nests without a permit. More information about Schedule 1 permits can be found here.

Note that the totals below only include records of nesting attempts that have got at least as far egg-laying. Every year we also receive c.7,000 records of empty nest boxes and territories.

Download the totals in a spreadsheet

Species
2022
2023
All
Mute Swan*
82
105
8,758
Black Swan
0
2
10
Whooper Swan
0
1
41
Greylag Goose
27
24
1,703
Canada Goose
47
93
6,107
Egyptian Goose
11
10
286
Shelduck
7
7
487
Mandarin Duck
35
47
1,262
Wigeon
0
4
186
Gadwall
15
9
413
Teal
2
2
268
Mallard
72
59
11,475
Garganey
0
1
16
Shoveler
4
6
287
Red-crested Pochard
1
0
40
Tufted Duck
12
5
1,662
Eider*
201
361
14,704
Common Scoter
5
3
101
Goldeneye
18
17
578
Goosander
7
8
544
Red Grouse
19
5
960
Black Grouse
1
0
118
Red-legged Partridge
2
2
543
Grey Partridge
2
1
908
Pheasant
11
12
2,727
Red-throated Diver*
2
12
2,580
Black-throated Diver
1
2
274
Fulmar*
29
117
8,789
Manx Shearwater
8
3
1,585
Gannet
22
0
85
Cormorant*
128
118
4,469
Shag*
104
327
19,723
Bittern
1
2
48
Little Egret
85
113
597
Grey Heron*
120
106
10,330
White Stork
12
12
33
Spoonbill
0
1
6
Little Grebe
22
20
3,249
Great Crested Grebe
25
47
5,376
Honey-buzzard
10
10
330
Red Kite
172
210
4,752
White-tailed Eagle
9
15
145
Marsh Harrier
50
85
755
Hen Harrier*
92
110
2,564
Goshawk
337
312
4,059
Sparrowhawk*
42
27
6,648
Buzzard
178
186
10,243
Golden Eagle
19
30
1,025
Osprey
48
77
544
Kestrel
558
579
17,105
Merlin*
126
115
5,472
Hobby
86
93
2,404
Peregrine
240
212
6,316
Water Rail
8
7
186
Moorhen*
148
126
28,640
Coot
190
189
27,817
Oystercatcher*
315
230
24,482
Black-winged Stilt
1
0
6
Avocet
53
45
1,684
Stone-curlew
52
53
782
Little Ringed Plover*
68
79
3,877
Ringed Plover*
54
106
13,183
Dotterel
0
8
349
Golden Plover*
24
5
1,150
Lapwing*
376
307
33,458
Temminck's Stint
0
1
3
Dunlin
3
1
692
Snipe*
23
8
2,012
Woodcock
11
1
753
Black-tailed Godwit
59
54
330
Whimbrel
0
2
162
Curlew*
166
168
4,120
Common Sandpiper*
25
21
2,065
Green Sandpiper
0
1
8
Greenshank
8
11
275
Wood Sandpiper
2
0
17
Redshank*
9
7
3,840
Red-necked Phalarope
0
1
171
Arctic Skua
1
6
447
Great Skua
1
0
721
Kittiwake*
365
555
25,926
Black-headed Gull*
173
197
14,295
Mediterranean Gull
26
10
210
Common Gull*
63
40
7,572
Lesser Black-backed Gull
24
29
5,395
Herring Gull
67
123
9,653
Great Black-backed Gull
47
52
3,972
Hybrid Gull
1
0
1
Little Tern*
436
358
10,447
Sandwich Tern
24
0
1,981
Common Tern*
49
65
10,106
Roseate Tern
154
118
2,811
Arctic Tern*
25
815
21,265
Guillemot
0
4
2,049
Razorbill
31
106
2,409
Black Guillemot
2
29
2,622
Puffin
60
0
1,404
Rock Dove
29
15
1,277
Feral Pigeon
7
4
2,503
Stock Dove
1,020
1,072
28,243
Woodpigeon
512
503
41,486
Collared Dove
88
64
7,583
Turtle Dove
2
0
2,199
Ring-necked Parakeet
12
4
216
Cuckoo
55
32
2,735
Barn Owl
3,515
3,350
51,645
Little Owl
150
156
4,992
Tawny Owl
542
616
19,440
Long-eared Owl
12
10
1,062
Short-eared Owl
7
21
587
Nightjar
131
117
3,511
Swift
269
286
5,042
Kingfisher
30
24
1,128
Green Woodpecker
4
5
643
Great Spotted Woodpecker
38
45
3,844
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
21
21
437
Chough
123
129
1,640
Magpie*
48
62
9,675
Jay
4
2
1,855
Jackdaw
523
487
17,064
Rook*
647
1,508
21,665
Hooded Crow
23
21
1,474
Carrion Crow*
67
88
9,961
Raven
110
123
6,687
Goldcrest
13
3
1,156
Firecrest
25
25
78
Blue Tit
7,913
7,649
229,474
Great Tit
4,330
4,439
156,051
Crested Tit
1
3
693
Coal Tit
77
138
7,800
Willow Tit
32
4
941
Marsh Tit
44
40
2,463
Woodlark
79
83
3,612
Skylark*
49
40
10,150
Sand Martin
898
1,162
16,752
Swallow
1,464
1,602
107,348
House Martin
321
338
14,709
Cetti's Warbler
21
17
173
Long-tailed Tit
179
143
10,261
Wood Warbler*
44
42
4,370
Chiffchaff
159
165
6,826
Willow Warbler*
136
117
17,240
Blackcap
177
128
7,129
Garden Warbler
30
27
3,130
Lesser Whitethroat
2
4
1,108
Whitethroat*
74
86
8,653
Dartford Warbler
22
18
843
Grasshopper Warbler
34
46
783
Sedge Warbler*
54
50
5,872
Reed Warbler
602
715
29,168
Nuthatch
198
301
8,391
Treecreeper
47
51
3,623
Wren*
244
245
21,710
Starling*
249
213
22,828
Dipper*
601
484
18,428
Ring Ouzel*
42
66
2,563
Blackbird*
931
894
161,630
Song Thrush*
485
444
86,998
Redwing
0
1
130
Mistle Thrush*
44
29
9,450
Spotted Flycatcher*
160
87
14,396
Robin
376
361
30,898
Nightingale
8
0
604
Pied Flycatcher*
2,102
2,383
69,875
Black Redstart
8
2
220
Redstart*
266
264
10,520
Whinchat*
117
126
3,883
Stonechat
315
236
7,759
Wheatear*
66
57
4,931
Dunnock*
220
221
37,686
House Sparrow
513
424
22,494
Tree Sparrow
1,602
1,431
62,722
Yellow Wagtail*
10
3
1,207
Grey Wagtail*
161
112
9,016
Pied Wagtail*
145
100
13,687
Tree Pipit
95
60
3,140
Meadow Pipit*
196
163
13,818
Rock Pipit*
6
4
1,103
Chaffinch*
106
86
28,454
Greenfinch*
24
25
16,594
Goldfinch
91
101
5,510
Siskin
0
2
171
Linnet*
198
208
33,615
Lesser Redpoll*
9
8
1,544
Common Redpoll*
1
0
4
Common Redpoll
1
0
4
Common Crossbill
17
9
277
Scottish Crossbill
1
1
10
Common Rosefinch
1
0
2
Bullfinch*
22
35
7,062
Hawfinch
5
2
277
Yellowhammer*
91
67
9,834
Cirl Bunting
54
42
1,014
Reed Bunting*
103
86
9,944
Corn Bunting*
20
29
1,470
Overall Total
40,970
42,975
2,106,309

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