Waterways Bird Survey

The BTO began to operate the Waterways Bird Survey (WBS) as an annual census of the breeding birds along rivers and canals in 1974. It had been realised that certain waterway species were poorly covered by the Common Birds Census (CBC) and in fact they are still relatively under-recorded by the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). This is because birds that specialise in linear water features are under-represented in the square BBS sampling plots. Species that WBS has monitored more effectively than BBS include (in order of monitoring improvement): Kingfisher, Goosander, Dipper, Common Sandpiper, Little Grebe, Sand Martin, Grey Wagtail, Mute Swan and Reed Warbler.

WBS used territory mapping to count and locate breeding territories of water birds. Volunteers undertook similar habitat mapping to the CBC. Nine visits to the site were recommended to be made each year, between March and July. Each visit usually took about two hours and all the waterside birds either seen or heard were identified and mapped.

Monitoring results from WBS are included in the BTO's 'Birds of the Wider Countryside' reports (birdtrends).

After 34 successful seasons, the scheme closed after the 2007 breeding season. Its role has been taken up by the Waterways Breeding Bird Survey (WBBS). Full documentation of WBS methods is available from BTO HQ.