Totals of individuals counted in Scotland



These figures are totals of the maximum counts recorded from each square in a given year. The maximum count is calculated for each species separately and is based on all birds seen and heard, including those in flight. These figures provide a useful indication of the relative abundance of different species, although they do not take account of differences in detectability between species. They do not provide measure of absolute abundance because BBS surveys do not detect all of the birds present in a particular square. For comparative purposes the data can be used to calculate the mean count per square by dividing the species totals in the table by the total number of squares surveyed. This measure has the advantage that it can be used to compare results based on different numbers of squares. Particular care should be taken in interpreting such results where only a few squares could be surveyed (fewer than 30-50 squares). While these figures may provide a general indication of major changes in abundance over time, they do not provide a statistically robust measure of such changes because they do not take account of the BBS sampling strategy or of temporal variation in the sample of squares surveyed. BBS trend analyses are available here

 
 

Species 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09
Total No squares surveyed 245 283 308 313 309 275 246 78 231 255 275 306 335 413 330 328
Mute Swan 52 73 41 35 67 79 52 21 44 62 45 66 55 74 73 136
Black Swan . . . . . 1 . . 5 . . . . . . .
Whooper Swan . 3 . . 1 2 2 . . 8 1 1 73 10 3 2
Pink-footed Goose 77 294 62 470 109 439 853 . 947 16 618 3 315 209 1278 291
White-fronted Goose . . . 2 . . 3 . 8 . 92 87 133 11 . .
Greylag Goose 71 306 195 139 78 104 230 97 145 232 371 408 523 461 338 438
Feral/hybrid Goose . . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . .
Bar-headed Goose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Snow Goose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Canada Goose 24 11 11 8 22 32 26 17 30 19 5 26 61 68 41 52
Barnacle Goose . . 1 . . . . . . . 935 . 897 77 . .
Brent Goose . . 92 . . . . . 2 . . . . 1 77 .
Shelduck 25 47 30 50 60 59 34 10 67 66 76 59 60 84 59 56
Mandarin . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 . . .
Wigeon 5 5 . 4 8 2 3 . 3 6 9 3 6 10 3 8
Gadwall 1 2 . . 12 5 . . 1 . 5 2 3 7 . .
Falcated Duck . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . .
Teal 19 28 31 14 22 19 14 5 12 55 25 23 16 21 23 23
Mallard 245 352 386 334 410 522 423 39 366 392 344 470 458 505 389 411
Pintail . . 3 . . . 2 . . . . . . . . .
Shoveler . 1 . 1 . 1 . 2 . 2 2 2 . . . 3
Red-crested Pochard . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . .
Pochard . . . 2 1 6 . . . . . . . 1 . .
Tufted Duck 66 64 42 47 36 64 103 24 86 62 56 50 87 85 71 52
Scaup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Eider 31 199 52 58 60 65 53 35 55 60 97 114 176 120 86 117
Common Scoter 3 2 . 1 . . . . . . . 100 . 1 . .
Goldeneye 4 4 1 3 . 4 4 . 3 20 5 13 13 5 4 1
Red-breasted Merganser 10 15 18 23 31 27 21 8 10 36 56 17 27 30 39 8
Goosander 19 47 25 10 27 45 19 . 14 45 9 20 43 30 11 17
Helmeted Guineafowl . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 . .
Red Grouse 163 215 242 259 325 297 180 64 135 278 142 132 128 246 198 171
Ptarmigan 3 2 4 5 2 10 5 . 9 2 . . 3 9 2 1
Black Grouse 11 18 22 23 11 13 10 2 3 11 20 10 17 17 8 14
Capercaillie . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . .
Red-legged Partridge 1 13 8 17 13 2 12 7 14 9 28 26 45 44 19 20
Grey Partridge 34 46 96 71 76 35 55 17 60 16 45 47 51 64 44 32
Quail . 2 . 1 5 3 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 .
Reeves Pheasant . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . .
Pheasant 255 314 388 358 411 334 314 116 356 399 480 541 618 749 681 690
Peafowl . . . 1 . . 1 . . . . 1 22 15 7 .
Red-throated Diver 25 28 32 42 28 27 36 8 21 22 23 30 30 18 27 15
Black-throated Diver 1 2 3 5 10 12 5 2 5 2 9 9 5 13 2 5
Great Northern Diver 1 . . 1 4 4 2 . 2 1 1 4 15 14 12 8
Little Grebe 3 5 5 3 5 3 8 2 3 6 7 11 9 13 10 16
Great Crested Grebe 6 10 5 6 6 5 . . . . 4 1 2 . . 3
Fulmar 53 124 75 61 70 45 66 12 133 39 147 148 211 34 25 52
Manx Shearwater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Gannet 14 18 6 15 42 6 2 3 204 . 41 43 28 23 39 24
Cormorant 9 4 10 8 8 21 41 9 20 14 35 36 28 33 25 25
Shag 9 2 30 26 44 10 220 20 6 27 28 38 39 25 12 18
Grey Heron 33 49 62 66 76 70 78 22 65 91 75 97 106 109 74 78
Black Kite . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Red Kite . . 1 4 2 5 6 2 5 5 9 6 12 20 11 25
White-tailed Eagle . . . 1 1 . 2 . 3 1 1 2 . 1 1 2
Marsh Harrier . . . . . 1 . . . . 1 . 1 . . 1
Hen Harrier 5 6 8 10 12 14 10 2 2 4 2 9 14 14 9 10
Goshawk 1 . 1 1 . . . . 1 1 . . 1 1 . .
Sparrowhawk 19 18 20 22 21 20 14 3 27 19 17 17 28 36 25 12
Harris Hawk . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . .
Buzzard 92 122 164 212 193 219 197 53 219 252 237 288 242 340 308 310
Golden Eagle 8 10 15 8 2 5 5 2 6 4 3 9 5 7 12 8
Osprey 2 3 1 1 8 3 5 . 7 8 5 5 8 7 10 10
Kestrel 49 50 56 56 63 34 32 13 46 53 63 54 52 66 84 35
Merlin 8 7 6 12 13 4 1 2 4 8 4 6 6 9 3 4
Hobby . . . . 1 1 . . . . . . . . . .
Peregrine 9 7 11 11 9 7 4 1 7 9 6 5 6 11 9 7
Water Rail 1 . . . 1 . 1 . . 2 5 4 3 2 4 .
Corncrake 1 1 1 3 3 2 6 7 1 3 10 3 2 2 4 9
Moorhen 20 12 24 26 28 24 21 3 17 28 28 26 32 33 17 22
Coot 17 26 19 22 31 28 37 4 21 22 33 20 29 32 24 17
Oystercatcher 814 850 898 761 704 718 691 116 571 758 704 1014 815 1150 715 716
Little Ringed Plover . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . .
Ringed Plover 21 29 27 22 22 23 45 5 13 25 61 50 68 64 42 177
Dotterel 7 . 7 . 1 3 2 . 38 . . . 3 . . 2
Golden Plover 295 245 179 318 275 120 322 25 223 137 125 118 212 1136 241 281
Grey Plover . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lapwing 663 709 744 666 529 652 697 97 691 615 737 677 852 784 825 659
Sanderling . . . . . 2 . . . . . 34 35 8 88 324
Purple Sandpiper . . 3 . . . . . . . . 1 2 5 . 6
Dunlin 191 39 48 60 110 40 62 5 45 56 99 122 80 72 130 110
Jack Snipe . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . .
Snipe 88 134 121 126 124 119 154 34 127 136 156 169 160 211 158 142
Woodcock 5 4 4 2 1 1 2 1 . . 2 2 1 . 4 5
Black-tailed Godwit . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . 1 4 .
Bar-tailed Godwit . . . . . . . . . 10 . . 3 . . 2
Whimbrel 3 10 30 10 11 2 15 5 13 2 7 15 17 15 8 6
Curlew 466 648 715 740 647 558 535 76 506 455 434 435 479 539 579 374
Common Sandpiper 86 88 99 96 110 66 62 22 54 64 64 72 85 75 60 65
Green Sandpiper . . . 1 . 1 . . . 1 . . 2 . . .
Greenshank 18 23 11 19 26 14 5 1 5 9 10 19 13 18 7 12
Redshank 94 79 68 81 52 44 68 11 45 44 68 59 62 113 53 51
Turnstone 9 22 12 1 5 5 . . 6 . . 10 74 30 9 42
Red-necked Phalarope . . . . . . 2 3 1 . 1 2 2 1 . .
Arctic Skua 24 31 37 24 21 24 18 6 23 15 35 25 23 11 4 1
Great Skua 17 14 20 71 52 27 136 2 83 52 67 26 73 68 48 49
Kittiwake . . . . . . 15 . 4 1 11 1 . 42 2 2
Black-headed Gull 770 736 549 795 669 721 611 46 385 323 396 379 453 424 479 512
Little Gull . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . .
Common Gull 635 771 1540 1983 1667 1600 1976 438 1015 1197 1013 1546 1257 1342 1237 1200
Lesser Black-backed Gull 357 284 702 860 549 514 876 161 440 548 661 658 575 706 712 747
Herring Gull 1041 1224 2188 1881 1894 1603 1085 840 1647 1424 1754 1707 1886 2118 1760 1861
Iceland Gull . . . . 1 . . . . 1 . . . 1 . 1
Great Black-backed Gull 77 102 76 158 133 114 115 32 133 101 202 195 167 114 99 131
Little Tern . . . . . . . . . 1 1 3 3 25 3 27
Sandwich Tern 3 1 2 . 1 2 . 4 15 16 11 9 10 2 6 2
Common Tern 13 7 12 35 8 11 4 . 8 9 15 23 14 28 6 2
Arctic Tern 24 85 14 32 6 48 110 . 40 18 85 66 648 170 59 282
Guillemot . . 26 . . . 4 . 6 . 3 4 15 15 . .
Razorbill . . 4 . . 2 . . . . . 38 7 3 8 2
Black Guillemot . 1 1 1 4 1 1 . . 1 3 . 2 . . .
Puffin . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . .
Rock Dove 31 28 78 79 56 91 69 4 156 138 84 69 142 212 47 61
Feral Pigeon 489 584 453 765 657 750 506 138 616 782 720 920 671 736 730 904
Stock Dove 31 46 64 32 62 41 47 4 59 63 67 70 79 86 88 88
Woodpigeon 1911 1992 2164 1912 2356 2409 1975 676 1902 2362 2347 3271 2949 3723 3491 3413
Collared Dove 75 96 83 96 119 114 97 61 92 115 147 191 180 239 198 211
Turtle Dove . . . 1 . . . . . . 1 . . . . .
Ring-necked Parakeet . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . .
Cuckoo 84 115 145 129 123 90 97 23 84 78 114 121 140 143 110 81
Barn Owl 1 1 1 . 3 1 . . 1 1 2 4 3 3 3 4
Little Owl . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . .
Tawny Owl 4 6 10 8 7 6 9 3 3 1 2 4 3 10 9 1
Long-eared Owl . 2 . 2 . 1 . . . 1 . . . . 1 1
Short-eared Owl 9 9 17 20 12 2 5 . 4 13 14 11 17 11 3 3
Nightjar . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Swift 259 248 274 233 345 253 187 69 205 212 206 397 337 419 417 463
Kingfisher . . . 1 . 4 1 . 2 1 . 2 2 6 . .
Green Woodpecker 11 5 8 9 15 6 3 4 7 7 14 16 11 13 6 7
Great Spotted Woodpecker 10 23 21 19 30 25 26 11 32 46 52 90 90 121 119 96
Skylark 1174 1582 1660 1702 1781 1317 1285 361 1288 1367 1526 1569 1797 2492 1969 1997
Sand Martin 145 263 291 159 33 201 285 16 131 41 213 280 394 276 307 431
Swallow 592 650 782 895 1070 1075 1005 276 852 989 1336 1646 1599 1777 1822 1949
House Martin 87 199 156 238 305 517 344 68 292 287 492 404 367 534 445 498
Tree Pipit 52 56 87 70 133 81 68 65 63 62 71 71 86 110 99 79
Meadow Pipit 2786 3650 4217 3729 4132 3007 2683 847 2381 3017 2618 2735 2863 4088 3254 2526
Rock Pipit 14 23 16 13 18 20 20 4 17 7 19 34 32 45 34 22
Yellow Wagtail 3 4 3 . . . . . 4 . . . . 3 1 1
Grey Wagtail 26 45 31 29 40 52 39 15 41 55 40 81 43 75 76 49
Pied Wagtail 192 333 328 311 333 325 267 70 289 308 341 343 346 440 349 367
White Wagtail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 .
Dipper 17 21 31 25 34 34 29 4 18 39 23 29 31 30 22 15
Wren 680 1049 618 902 1286 1264 1281 295 971 1178 1551 1758 1664 2189 2146 1577
Dunnock 180 192 200 264 331 311 289 95 251 339 349 467 450 527 532 518
Robin 568 699 519 562 859 755 747 193 591 676 873 1018 1076 1277 1221 1181
Redstart 7 8 23 27 20 18 19 6 15 18 28 22 26 41 15 22
Whinchat 52 97 142 104 65 68 29 12 22 25 35 26 40 50 46 19
Stonechat 32 50 16 23 33 78 60 25 64 39 79 141 120 233 165 97
Wheatear 155 246 271 286 292 209 167 62 191 182 190 255 259 355 213 353
Ring Ouzel 9 13 20 13 21 16 11 7 9 1 1 7 8 6 9 7
Blackbird 676 710 800 828 1023 1112 1010 348 919 1097 1228 1464 1506 1972 1795 1815
Fieldfare . 21 1 185 203 2 74 . 18 124 . . 36 12 50 79
Song Thrush 279 348 414 331 417 471 447 113 405 438 483 583 562 671 654 645
Redwing 1 3 2 6 . 2 . . 18 15 1 6 . 1 1 .
Mistle Thrush 85 111 109 111 167 144 143 26 116 153 173 229 189 197 176 175
Grasshopper Warbler 5 14 13 27 17 8 9 2 7 10 27 21 16 27 24 26
Sedge Warbler 107 123 117 126 144 145 178 53 128 98 181 166 166 222 196 213
Reed Warbler . 3 1 . . . . . 2 . 1 8 . . 1 1
Blackcap 31 25 32 51 81 78 69 24 71 93 98 116 127 140 137 168
Garden Warbler 13 22 31 27 37 32 27 3 24 37 43 37 31 53 40 48
Lesser Whitethroat . 2 . 2 . . . . 1 . 2 1 . 2 3 3
Whitethroat 80 104 112 130 156 135 148 41 148 160 230 230 257 282 255 273
Wood Warbler 36 28 18 26 14 7 9 7 11 4 14 22 13 12 10 12
Chiffchaff 26 30 40 29 41 46 85 12 52 86 116 110 75 111 142 134
Willow Warbler 890 1264 1582 1561 1797 1444 1246 448 1135 1126 1425 1453 1531 1792 1674 1715
Goldcrest 185 358 232 412 424 293 392 90 345 414 505 473 385 426 448 181
Spotted Flycatcher 30 32 40 41 43 54 43 9 27 29 28 50 46 32 37 35
Pied Flycatcher 11 7 7 7 9 3 7 . 9 2 4 9 4 4 1 1
Long-tailed Tit 30 44 44 142 66 81 103 6 50 69 100 50 99 86 140 95
Blue Tit 368 542 564 792 682 644 565 137 585 741 953 1146 1195 1224 1107 1034
Great Tit 210 263 318 382 460 369 314 104 327 408 506 649 746 849 703 675
Crested Tit 20 . 3 10 6 6 1 . 7 8 4 8 7 9 7 6
Coal Tit 397 432 572 674 564 386 400 137 461 553 511 583 516 739 764 571
Willow Tit . 1 . . 1 . . . . . . . . . 1 .
Marsh Tit . 2 3 1 . . 1 1 . . . 3 . . . 1
Nuthatch . . . . . . 1 . . . 3 3 4 2 5 3
Treecreeper 28 44 42 43 48 47 28 6 40 28 58 55 71 79 86 36
Red-backed Shrike 1 . . 2 . . . . . . . . . 1 . .
Jay 5 13 8 12 20 21 18 8 23 22 34 33 22 33 28 19
Magpie 74 84 103 146 129 102 114 25 87 132 195 177 213 231 243 300
Chough 2 3 . 2 1 . 1 2 15 3 2 2 2 14 16 11
Jackdaw 496 615 811 899 997 1060 830 171 874 904 1112 1259 1170 1534 1358 1681
Rook 2310 3320 3622 3916 3570 3419 2899 466 3046 3661 2976 3594 3014 3875 3471 3237
Carrion Crow 1167 1245 1530 1710 1792 1713 2039 409 1588 1586 1821 2213 2372 2743 2001 2044
Hooded Crow 211 189 173 186 163 144 137 51 91 119 191 178 174 200 209 158
Carrion/Hooded (intermediate) . . . . . 1 3 . . 10 . 1 . . 3 6
Raven 69 126 115 72 94 81 80 17 60 90 77 119 123 221 119 114
Starling 1844 2777 2646 2874 2910 3018 3398 722 2709 2596 3301 3821 4715 4435 3919 3192
House Sparrow 627 773 703 821 838 801 795 431 700 918 979 1318 1284 1513 1470 1593
Tree Sparrow 31 47 47 27 34 45 79 65 87 122 150 120 125 133 119 180
Chaffinch 1678 1931 2477 2296 2692 2330 2106 717 1974 2200 2506 2924 3279 3762 3070 3292
Brambling . 10 . 1 . . . . . 8 2 3 3 1 1 .
Greenfinch 238 277 366 438 388 424 341 119 315 310 429 493 597 656 576 392
Goldfinch 102 142 195 239 228 232 241 51 225 299 341 402 316 471 531 636
Siskin 233 185 445 443 312 182 208 55 214 148 151 249 206 395 406 328
Linnet 328 496 350 493 568 417 553 162 491 595 456 678 729 821 668 724
Twite 54 69 72 69 64 52 62 43 34 39 28 51 113 61 30 76
Lesser Redpoll 118 138 159 200 138 91 120 39 106 108 116 209 109 135 130 137
Crossbill 75 23 70 106 53 39 36 5 141 181 62 98 100 85 205 57
Scottish Crossbill . 6 2 14 6 8 17 . 2 4 . 6 23 9 15 11
Bullfinch 28 52 95 71 67 57 59 13 43 49 71 68 73 77 82 80
Lapland Bunting . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . .
Snow Bunting . 1 . . . . . . . . . . 1 . 1 .
Yellowhammer 260 329 411 367 391 364 400 96 333 325 341 457 548 677 559 581
Reed Bunting 75 89 85 63 85 94 90 34 87 109 113 148 221 242 209 176
Corn Bunting 18 18 16 21 9 17 18 5 4 6 5 19 9 29 21 16
Total number of Species 144 152 150 157 150 156 152 126 153 153 158 166 165 167 160 162

 


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