Press Releases - September/October 2006
Item 5

No. 2006/09/41
29 September 2006

Seen any plovers?

Lapwings and Golden Plovers from across Europe are flooding into Britain
and the British Trust for Ornithology is looking for birdwatchers to help
to count them, starting this week.

The last time they were counted, it was thought that at least 250,000 Golden Plover and 1.5 million Lapwing spent the winter in Britain, with most of these being found on farmland. With ongoing declines in the breeding populations of both these species, and with a major shift in their winter range, it is time for an update.

Current BTO surveyors will survey many sites that have already been identified as important for these birds. However, to get an accurate a picture as possible the BTO are looking for people to survey selected 2km x 2km squares (tetrads), making one visit each month from October to February, checking all suitable habitat on each visit and submitting their counts.

Both of these species are widespread in the UK during the winter and it would be impossible to monitor every bit of suitable habitat. To help fill in the gaps anyone who sees flocks of Golden Plovers and Lapwings this winter is asked to submit these counts as well. You can improve the value of your sighting by returning to the area to provide monthly updates. These birds can be rather mobile, so it is worth checking the area thoroughly and not simply just checking the field that they were in last time.

Paul Stancliffe, Promotions Officer at the BTO said, “We have had a succession of mild winters recently, during which wintering Lapwings and Golden Plovers have increased seven fold in the east of the country. It would be interesting to see if this trend continues during cold winters, this is why we are asking as many people to get involved as possible to allow us to get a full a picture as we can.”

To take part in this or any of the BTO’s surveys visit the BTO website www.bto.org or telephone 01842 750050 for more information.

In order to take part, you need to be able to identify Lapwings and Golden Plovers, you need to be able to read grid references, and if doing a tetrad survey you’ll need transport to get you to and around the square.

Notes to Editors

1. Golden Plovers wintering in Britain may come from three populations. Most are from Iceland and Scandinavia/western Russia, with fewer from Britain, Denmark and Germany. Lapwings wintering in the UK include local breeders and birds from Scandinavia and continental Europe, and from as far east as Russia.

2. Lapwings and Golden Plovers feed on a wide spectrum of ground living invertebrates, but principally beetles and earthworms, also some plant material, including berries, seeds and grasses. These large eyed plovers mainly feed at night and by day are often to be found roosting on fields. Flocks of up to 5,000 can carpet fields but even reports of groups of 50 birds are important.

3. Important wintering sites already identified will be surveyed by the BTO Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) surveyors. WeBS is the scheme which monitors non-breeding water birds in the UK. The principal aims of WeBS are to identify population sizes, determine trends in numbers and distribution and to identify important sites for water birds.

WeBS is jointly run by the British Trust for Ornithology, The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. All queries and correspondence concerning WeBS should be directed to: WeBS Office, BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, Tel: 01842 750050, E-mail:

4. Forms to submit winter plover sightings can be downloaded from the BTO website www.bto.org/goto/winter-plovers or obtained by phoning the BTO on 01842 750050.

5. Colour photographs. Images of garden birds are freely available for use in association with this press release. Please contact to request an electronic version.

For further information please contact:

Paul Stancliffe or Simon Gillings on during office hours

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