Waterbirds in the UK presents the summarised results of the annual WeBS report, and full data available via the WeBS Report Online. It provides a single, comprehensive source of information on the current status and distribution of waterbirds in the UK for those interested in the conservation of the populations of these species and the wetland sites they use.

This is the third edition of the Northern Ireland Seabird Report, covering 2015. This report is the published outcome of the work of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Seabird Coordinator, appointed in February 2013, and the activities of the evolving Northern Ireland Seabird Network of volunteers, and organisations such as National Trust, Ulster Wildlife and the RSPB that have provided data for 2015 and previous years. The report on breeding seabirds in Northern Ireland during 2015 presented here is similar to 2013 and 2014. We have kept the detail from previous years, even where data have changed little since our last report. It is important that this report represents a summary of current species knowledge, and that reference to other, earlier, reports is not necessary. In this we are taking a similar stance to JNCC and their online SMP report and this is doubtless the best way to present such a report. As in previous years a number of articles have been submitted for inclusion in the Northern Ireland Seabird Report. These articles provide further detail on the monitoring in Northern Ireland, and highlight some of the exciting seabird research being undertaken. We are very grateful to the authors for giving their time to produce these articles.

This is the second edition of the Northern Ireland Seabird Report, covering 2014. This report is the published outcome of the work of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Seabird Co-ordinator, appointed in February 2013, and the activities of the evolving Northern Ireland Seabird Network of volunteers, and organisations such as National Trust, Ulster Wildlife and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) that have provided data for 2014 and previous years. Interest in Northern Ireland’s marine environment continues to grow. The process of designating Marine Conservation Zones in Northern Ireland waters is ongoing, and there is considerable effort being put into consideration of a number of SPA extensions. Despite the recent withdrawal of proposals for the development of an offshore wind farm off the Co. Down coast, there are many other developments being considered in Northern Ireland’s marine environment. Designations and planning consents all require high quality marine biodiversity data of various types, including for birds. At the core of the Seabird Network in Northern Ireland are our surveyors. Some work for Government bodies such as NIEA, while others survey on behalf of NGOs such as RSPB, Ulster Wildlife and the National Trust. We are grateful for their co-operation and assistance. Many other surveyors are volunteers who give up their time freely to help, simply because of a love and admiration of these bird species. The amount and quality of work that can be undertaken by volunteers is amazing and in 2014 we were fortunate that many new and enthusiastic people joined the already talented Seabird Network. The Seabird Network now numbers 60 people, a great achievement when there were only 20 people in Northern Ireland surveying seabirds just two years ago. The report on breeding seabirds in Northern Ireland during 2014 presented here is similar to 2013. We have kept the detail from previous years, even where data have changed little since our last report. It is important that this report represents a summary of current species knowledge, and that reference to other, earlier, reports is not necessary. In this we are taking a similar stance to JNCC and their online SMP report and this is doubtless the best way to present such a report.

The BTO/RSPB/JNCC Breeding Bird Survey is the primary source of information about changes in national populations of over 100 bird species. Here we describe analyses of this dataset which has identified important spatial variation in population indicators, highlighting previously unreported declines in habitat specialists in southern and eastern Britain. Using biodiversity indicators In the UK, wild bird population indicators are produced annually on behalf of the Government to monitor the health of the environment. These multi-species indices are calculated by averaging the population indices of birds that typically breed in the habitats of interest. The farmland and woodland bird indicators are those that show the largest declines with losses of 54% and 20% respectively compared to the 1970s baseline. However, these figures mask significant regional and local variation. The BTO has used existing land-cover data to develop a new approach to model breeding densities of birds across the UK from BBS surveys for each species in the indicator for two time-periods (1994-96 and 2007-09). These maps were then combined for each indicator set to show fine-scale spatial variation in temporal trends of both multi-species indicators. Declines greatest in the south-east Farmland birds were found to be doing better in western areas where they have been mostly stable compared to eastern areas where they declined extensively since the mid-1990s. Declines were greatest in south-east England and were driven by losses of more than 50% in farmland specialists such as Linnet, Skylark, Starling and Yellowhammer which are Red Listed species in the UK. In contrast to the east-west pattern seen in farmland birds, the woodland bird indicator showed a north-south gradient, with populations in the south faring worse than those in the north. Again, the largest declines occurred in south-east England, particularly for Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler and Bullfinch, where losses of specialists averaged more than 25%, whilst populations generally increased significantly in Scotland. For both farmland and woodland bird communities, indicator trends for specialist species were much more negative than those for generalist species which tend to occupy a wider range of habitats, and showed positive population trends. What are the reasons for these spatial patterns? The fact that both farmland and woodland indicator trends are most negative in the south-east of England shows that bird populations in this region are under significant and previously unrecorded pressure. Compared to other regions, south-east England has experienced the greatest degree of long-term agricultural intensification, fragmentation of natural habitats and urban expansion. While these factors are very likely to have continuing negative effects, rising temperatures and risk of drought may also play a role and further work is required to properly attribute these spatial patterns to specific drivers. The UK Government is committed to national and international policies to reduce threats to biodiversity and the results of this research are important to help policy makers identify the areas where conservation actions should be prioritised.

The BirdTrends 2020 report is a one-stop shop for authoritative information about the population status of the common breeding birds of the wider UK countryside. The report is based on data gathered by the many thousands of volunteers who contribute to BTO-led surveys.