This report investigates the efficacy of methods for producing population trends from BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey data for six breeding wader species in the UK. It examines the effects of increasing the count threshold on the population trends for these six species, and also explores the effects of different geographic exclusion rules on the population trend of Golden Plover. Overall, it aims to test for any potential biases in the current trends, and in doing so, determines whether we can create a better approach which provides the most robust data for wader conservation moving forwards.

This report reviews the suitability of methods used to calculate the scale of Artificial Nest Structures (ANS) provided as compensation measures for Kittiwake mortality at offshore wind farms in English waters, due to turbine collision only. This report was revised in October 2025 and republished on 30-10-2025, correcting an error in Table 5. The recalculated compensation populations in the original report did not match the underlying fecundity values in the column headers. In addition, a link to helpful computer code was added to Appendix 3 (see below).

This study used DNA metabarcoding on faeces collected opportunistically during the breeding season, to identify fish and marine invertebrate prey in the diet of Shag and Kittiwake in western Scotland. Read our BTO blog on making this research accessible through the medium of a comic!

HPAI has now affected over 300 avian species globally, including seabirds, raptors, and waterfowl, with significant mortality observed across both hemispheres.

With increasing sophistication, genetic techniques and analyses are allowing us to delve deep into the past to show how prior environmental or demographic change has influenced species’ present day populations. This is particularly useful for scarce species that are difficult to observe and occupy remote habitats. In many species, large scale reduction in habitat availability has impacted their breeding distribution, which has been exacerbated by habitat fragmentation. Once widespread species become localised and the remaining breeding birds become increasingly isolated, this can result in reduced genetic diversity. This is the case for the Nightjar, a little-studied species, which has specialised habitat requirements and is located at the western edge of the European range.

The report 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. Key stories from this report include more updates on avian influenza affecting migratory Barnacle Goose and Mute Swan, as well as a focus on the latest WeBS Alerts, looking at how wintering waterbirds are doing in protected areas. View the press release for this report