This is the 31st annual report of the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and Waterways Breeding Bird Survey (WBBS), documenting the population abundance trends of widespread UK breeding bird species during the periods 1994–2025 and 1998–2025 respectively. These are the main schemes for monitoring the population changes of the UK’s widespread breeding birds, providing an important indicator of the health of the countryside. The results are published annually as Official Statistics and used widely by Defra and the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies (SNCBs, e.g. Natural England and NatureScot) to set priorities and to inform conservation action, and as the evidence base against which the UK’s biodiversity targets are measured. BBS data are also routinely used in research, with recent examples including peer-reviewed papers published in 2022 and 2024, which measured the efficacy of the UK’s network of protected areas in supporting wildlife. In this report The 2025 Breeding Bird Survey Report highlights the varying fortunes of four of the UK’s widely monitored wild doves and pigeons. Whilst Stock Dove and Woodpigeon are faring well – Stock Dove has increased by over 40% in the last 10 years – the Turtle Dove decline shows no sign of abating, and Collared Dove has declined by around 40% since 2005. In Scotland, species of woodland and scrub – including Willow Warbler, Tree Pipit and Bullfinch – continue to increase, whilst populations further south in Britain are declining. In Wales, there are mixed fortunes. Woodland species such as Great Spotted Woodpecker have increased over threefold, and Nuthatch has increased by 55%, since 1995. Meanwhile, Curlew and Yellowhammer continue to decline. In Northern Ireland, which sees a change of baseline for monitoring trends from 1994 to 1996, the pattern of increasing Song Thrush (+75%, 1997–2024) and declining Mistle Thrush (-35%) highlights a UK-wide pattern for these two closely related species. Several species are not monitored by BBS in Northern Ireland, particularly farmland birds such as Kestrel, Curlew and Yellowhammer, and additional efforts are underway to improve monitoring in these declining species. The 2025 season was also noteworthy for seeing a record number of 1-km squares being visited, with over 2,800 surveyors visiting 4,058 sites. We thank these skilled and dedicated volunteers who give their time to BBS and WBBS and make the monitoring of the UK’s breeding birds possible. Read and download the 2025 reportOr, browse all editions of the Breeding Bird Survey Report

The primary tool by which wader conservation is delivered in farmed landscapes is agri-environment schemes, whereby payments incentivise land managers to conduct beneficial management for species or habitats. Assessments of the effectiveness of such schemes have been based on infrequent, large-scale surveys which do not produce landscape- or intervention-specific evidence to facilitate local adaptations to the design of agri-environment schemes. This report details work carried out at 10 participating farms in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, where we trialled two methods that could help to evaluate the effectiveness of scheme measures at regional scales.

This report is the published outcome of the work of the Northern Ireland Seabird Network — a network of volunteers, researchers and organisations — coordinated by the BTO Seabird Coordinator, and funded by NIEA. It contains detailed species accounts for the 22 breeding seabird species in Northern Ireland, as well as articles on a range of topics: Manx Shearwaters nesting on Rathlin Rathlin Island Breeding Seabird Census 2025 Tracking Lesser Black-backed Gulls on Lough Neagh Puffins return to Isle of Muck Outer Ards: 2025 Seabird Nesting Report Strangford Lough: 2025 Seabird Nesting Report Forthcoming seabird research work: ACCLIMATISE project

Connecting Constable and Gainsborough Country is a DEFRA-funded Landscape Recovery project. This report describes the use of passive acoustic monitoring to assess the status and distribution of birds, bats, terrestrial small mammals, and bush-crickets across the Stour, Brett, and Box valleys in south Suffolk. The project supports habitat restoration and woodland connectivity, with a focus on rare or declining species of conservation concern, including the Hazel Dormouse, informed by robust monitoring.

The annual report of the Seabird Monitoring Programme View and download the report Read the report online This report presents the latest seabird population trends in breeding abundance and productivity using data from the Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP). It documents changes in the abundance and productivity of breeding seabird species in Britain and Ireland from 1986 to 2024. This report includes both inland and coastal populations and trends from the Channel Islands, England, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, which are presented where sufficient data are available. The results from this report are used more broadly to assess the health of the wider environment, to inform policy and for conservation action.

This report summarises results from the first year of Passive Acoustic Monitoring undertaken at Wild Neroche during spring and summer 2025. The intention is to establish a baseline dataset that will inform future assessments of how active management influences biodiversity across the Neroche area. This report summarises results from the first year of Passive Acoustic Monitoring undertaken at Wild Neroche during spring and summer 2025. Wild Neroche is one of four of Forestry England’s Wilder Forests, and is located in south-west England.The intention is to establish a baseline dataset that will inform future assessments of how active management influences biodiversity across the Neroche area. Bird communities were surveyed at 10 sites using autonomous recording devices operating in the audible range. During the initial deployment period, audible recordings were collected continuously during both day and night. The same devices were also operated in ultrasonic mode at nine of these sites to monitor bats, small mammals, and bush-crickets; ultrasonic recordings were restricted to night-time only. Audible recordings were collected on 140 days between April and September, while ultrasonic recordings were obtained on 67 nights between June and August. Devices were placed to survey a range of habitats including mixed deciduous woodland, coniferous woodland, heathland, and mesotrophic grassland. Analysis of ultrasonic data identified 13 species of bat, including the regionally important Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus) and Bechstein’s Bat (Myotis bechsteinii), both of which are included on the red list of British Mammals. In addition, three terrestrial small mammal species, four bush-cricket species, and two audible moth species were confirmed. One standout result of the ultrasonic survey was the exceptional number of detections of Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius), with 4,418 triggered recordings across six sites. Dormouse acoustic activity peaked in late July. In total, 73 species of birds were confirmed, including 35 species listed as Amber or Red on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern list. The repeated detection of Goshawk (Astur gentilis) across the survey area is also of particular interest.

This study uses Hen Harrier records from the Hen Harrier Winter Roost Survey and BirdTrack to explore the distribution of wintering Hen Harriers in relation to the distribution of Special Protection Areas (SPAs). There is a particular need to enhance survey effort in and around SPAs, to improve our understanding of the distribution and habitat use of non-breeding Hen Harriers in England, and to evaluate whether there is a need for site protection to be extended to more areas.