Press Releases - March/April 2008
Item 2

No. 2008/03/07
March 2008

Mapping Britain’s birds

From 1 April at least 30,000 birdwatchers across Britain and Ireland will be out recording the distribution of birds for the first breeding season of Bird Atlas 2007-11.

Following a very successful first winter of fieldwork for Bird Atlas 2007-11, thousands of birdwatchers will have binoculars at the ready and ears cocked, as they tour the same squares again, this time to make detailed counts of birds in the breeding season. They will be supported by Roving Recorders, birdwatchers who simply record the birds they see between 1 April – and 31 July, anywhere at any time.

There will be exciting changes in distribution for many species since the last Breeding Atlas of 1988-91. There will be new breeding species such as the Little Egret to record, and range expansion for the Buzzard, Nuthatch and Hobby to document. On the downside, it will be interesting to look at the range of declining species like Kestrel and Cuckoo and to look for the remaining hot-spots for red-listed species such as Tree Sparrow and Yellow Wagtail.

Dawn Balmer, Atlas Coordinator commented, “We have been absolutely delighted by the coverage achieved in the first winter and look forward to achieving similar success in the first breeding season.”

“There are great challenges ahead for volunteer birdwatchers to reach all the remote areas of Britain and Ireland over the next four breeding seasons and three winters. There has never been a more important time for birdwatchers to take their holidays in the British Isles.”

Please see over for Notes for Editors

Notes for Editors

1. Bird Atlas 2007-2011 is a partnership between the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) and BirdWatch Ireland.

2. To take part in Bird Atlas visit the website www.birdatlas.net and follow links to ‘Taking Part’. Allocation of fieldwork is done locally through a network of Regional Organisers.

3. Bird Atlas 2007-2011 will map the distribution and relative abundance of birds in Britain and Ireland during the breeding season and winter.

4. Previous breeding season atlases were carried out in 1968-72 and 1988-91. The only Winter Atlas was carried out in 1981-84.

5. Fieldwork will comprise two elements: ‘Timed Tetrad Visits’ to specific tetrads (2km x 2km squares) and ‘Roving Records’, which are records from anytime during the atlas period. Fieldwork starts on 1st November. Two visits to tetrads are required in the breeding season, and two visits in the winter.

6. Results produced by Bird Atlas 2007-2011 will form the basis of conservation priorities for coming decades. Maps from previous atlases are available from for use in publications.

7. Images are available from

8. The BTO has an ISDN line available for radio interviews.

For further information please contact:

Dawn Balmer (Atlas Coordinator) or Paul Stancliffe (Press Officer)
BTO
The Nunnery
Thetford
Norfolk
IP24 2PU.
Tel: 01842 750050
E-mail: or

Bob Swann (Scottish Atlas Organiser)
c/o SOC
Waterston House
Aberlady
East Lothian
EH32 0PY

Brian Caffrey (Irish Atlas Project Coordinator)
BirdWatch Ireland - Midlands Office
Crank House
Banagher
Co. Offaly