Abstract from BTO Research Report No. 494:

S. Gillings, A.M. Wilson, G.J. Conway, J.A. Vickery, R.J. Fuller, P. Beavan, S.E. Newson, D.G. Noble & M.P. Toms (2007)

Winter Farmland Bird Survey ISBN 978-1-906204-31-0

INTRODUCTION

This report presents the results from a large-scale survey of wintering birds on a representative sample of lowland farmland in Britain – the Winter Farmland Bird Survey. The aims of the Winter Farmland Bird Survey were three-fold: first, to provide information on the distribution and abundance of a suite of farmland bird species across the whole of lowland Britain; second to describe the distribution and abundance of agricultural habitats in winter; and, third to identify the habitat preferences of farmland birds in winter across a wide geographic area and to investigate the importance of regional and seasonal differences.

This report draws together much of the work undertaken on the Winter Farmland Bird Survey project, including published and unpublished work. It includes preliminary analyses that aimed to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the dataset (Supplementary Analysis, Chapter 9), and considers broad habitat associations (Chapters 2, 3), the importance of stubble fields (Chapter 4), landscape-level habitat associations (Chapter 5), regional similarities in drivers of distribution (Chapter 6), possible population-level responses of birds to winter habitat availability (Chapter 7) and investigating possible linkages between farmland and gardens (Chapter 8).

At the time of writing, chapters 2, 3 and 7 are in press or already published; chapter 8 is in review; and chapter 4 is in preparation for publication in association with investigation of set aside loss.

Back to Research Reports 455 onwards