About BBS
The BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is a national volunteer project aimed at keeping track of changes in the breeding populations of widespread bird species in the UK.
Wild bird populations are an important indicator of the health of the countryside, and knowing to what extent bird populations are increasing or decreasing is fundamental to bird conservation.
The BBS was launched in 1994, and involves thousands of volunteer birdwatchers carrying out standardised annual bird counts on randomly-located 1-km sites. Comparing these annual counts enables us to monitor the population changes of over 100 bird species.
The BBS replaced the previous BTO population monitoring survey, the Common Birds Census (CBC). Trends from the two schemes can be combined to give long-term bird population trends that run from the 19602s to the present. The latest joint CBC/BBS trends are published in the BirdTrends Report.
The survey is designed to be a simple and enjoyable birdwatching exercise. Volunteers make just three visits to randomly-located 1-km squares, the first to record habitat and to set up a suitable survey route, and the second and third to record birds that are seen or heard while walking along the route. BBS volunteers record mammals seen during their surveys, and can also collect data on butterflies.
Read more about how to take part.
In addition to overall UK bird population trends, population trends are generated for four countries (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and nine English Government Office Regions (North West, North East, Yorkshire & the Humber, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands, South East, South West and London). Trends are published in the annual BBS report.
For more information about how the trends are generated, and research carried out using BBS data, see our research & conservation section.
The BBS is run by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), and jointly funded by the BTO, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC, the statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature conservation, on behalf of the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside, the Countryside Council for Wales, Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
The BBS Team
Kate Risely is the BBS National Organiser at the BTO, responsible for the day-to-day running of the BBS, liaising with BTO Regional Organisers and volunteers, promoting the scheme, maintaining the database, and producing the annual report.
Dr David Noble is the Principal Ecologist for Monitoring at the BTO, responsible for strategic developments in biodiversity monitoring. Dr Andy Musgrove is the Head of the Monitoring Team, which includes the BBS and a number of other surveys. Dr Stephen Baillie is the Director of the Modelling and Demography Group at the BTO, and has overseen the BBS since its inception in 1994.
