BBS

Totals of individuals counted in South West England

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
Total No squares surveyed	204	236	252	288	294	309	292	35	283	294	303	336	440	464	411
Mute Swan	82	682	590	612	816	695	761	4	722	780	684	782	753	845	870
Whooper Swan	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	2	.	.	.	.
Pink-footed Goose	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	5	1	.	.	.	.	.
Greylag Goose	.	1	2	7	8	.	1	.	8	13	.	2	22	4	15
Feral/hybrid Goose	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	8	12	8
Snow Goose	.	.	.	1	5	1	4	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Canada Goose	85	165	189	158	213	202	274	5	511	793	578	464	586	1187	1136
Barnacle Goose	.	2	1	2	.	2	1	.	1	4	6	.	.	1	.
Brent Goose	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	1
Red-breasted Goose	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.
Egyptian Goose	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	3
Ruddy Shelduck	.	.	2	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Shelduck	47	157	265	176	190	128	153	2	89	92	96	1317	594	226	2409
Mandarin	.	12	1	4	.	4	2	.	4	9	5	.	5	3	16
Wigeon	.	1	.	22	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	3	1	4	4
Gadwall	9	12	17	7	15	7	5	1	7	6	12	5	3	3	11
Teal	.	1	19	14	5	.	5	.	6	4	10	2	22	6	6
Mallard	341	410	634	734	697	846	969	131	874	777	1112	998	1208	1422	1171
Feral/hybrid mallard type	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	2	2	6	13	5	17	14	7
Pintail	.	4	2	6	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.
Garganey	.	.	2	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	1	3	.	.
Shoveler	.	1	4	.	1	5	.	.	.	23	1	2	16	4	5
Pochard	14	2	4	5	2	2	2	.	1	1	10	9	6	32	16
Ring-necked Duck	.	.	.	.	1	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tufted Duck	30	29	28	118	57	50	99	.	49	135	162	139	77	175	171
Scaup	.	.	.	5	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.
Eider	2	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	11	.	.
Long-tailed Duck	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Goldeneye	2	.	1	.	2	.	1	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.
Red-breasted Merganser	.	1	8	5	4	.	6	.	.	2	.	2	.	10	.
Goosander	.	2	5	.	8	.	4	.	9	7	5	2	10	.	.
Ruddy Duck	3	.	.	3	1	5	6	.	6	3	5	6	3	8	5
Red Grouse	.	5	1	.	.	1	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	1	.
Red-legged Partridge	45	38	70	84	86	79	82	11	124	140	189	204	211	214	212
Grey Partridge	34	21	39	31	29	25	27	.	22	22	17	24	46	25	26
Quail	2	1	1	13	14	3	4	.	.	1	4	10	1	1	.
Pheasant	567	619	797	817	820	964	1161	79	1015	1232	1277	1480	1936	2148	1631
Golden Pheasant	.	.	1	.	.	.	2	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.
Red-throated Diver	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Great Northern Diver	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Little Grebe	8	6	7	10	10	30	10	.	15	12	12	9	15	24	10
Great Crested Grebe	10	20	24	25	19	37	24	.	50	25	31	26	23	36	78
Slavonian Grebe	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	9
Fulmar	6	2	2	7	14	15	16	.	10	2	7	14	10	20	28
Manx Shearwater	.	.	100	.	81	3	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.
Gannet	8	6	9	.	9	4	.	1	4	4	11	7	6	107	2
Cormorant	67	53	73	84	74	97	67	11	101	72	68	105	74	87	124
Shag	100	201	203	6	251	38	6	.	1	.	.	.	1	9	1
Cattle Egret	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1
Little Egret	4	2	11	2	1	2	1	.	13	9	21	42	48	51	76
Grey Heron	62	96	107	114	81	122	97	8	112	133	115	133	164	194	163
Purple Heron	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Spoonbill	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1
Honey Buzzard	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Red Kite	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	2	2	3	6	5
Marsh Harrier	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.
Hen Harrier	.	.	.	1	2	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.
Montagus Harrier	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	1	.	2	.
Goshawk	1	.	1	1	1	.	1	.	2	1	1	2	2	1	3
Sparrowhawk	45	30	39	42	49	59	50	8	37	52	49	64	61	63	62
Buzzard	186	192	254	271	315	306	351	24	356	342	366	420	583	519	568
Osprey	.	.	1	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.
Kestrel	74	71	74	89	101	85	81	8	63	93	78	112	126	127	123
Merlin	.	.	.	1	1	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	3	.
Hobby	2	3	8	6	6	4	5	.	10	8	6	8	14	12	15
Peregrine	.	.	4	3	7	3	4	.	6	11	4	12	13	19	24
Water Rail	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.
Moorhen	70	74	86	92	88	141	97	10	85	97	104	115	174	166	159
Coot	36	102	126	85	147	229	156	1	134	235	223	218	220	176	234
Crane	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Oystercatcher	48	56	38	29	15	29	20	2	18	5	12	108	248	32	70
Avocet	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.
Stone-curlew	.	1	1	1	.	.	.	.	2	.	1	1	.	2	3
Little Ringed Plover	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	2	1	.	.
Ringed Plover	2	10	12	7	13	4	22	.	3	2	7	13	23	30	9
Golden Plover	.	1	.	.	.	30	.	.	.	4	2	.	.	.	45
Grey Plover	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	1
Lapwing	127	376	217	168	93	99	86	4	110	113	94	119	186	150	234
Knot	.	.	.	.	.	2	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sanderling	.	4	50	2	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	4	.	.	.
Dunlin	.	64	47	1	13	5	8	.	1	3	7	19	20	.	126
Snipe	13	5	1	7	3	4	4	.	8	5	1	7	9	14	7
Woodcock	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	1	1	.
Black-tailed Godwit	.	.	15	.	.	.	7	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	1
Bar-tailed Godwit	1	.	.	.	5	2	2	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	2
Whimbrel	14	24	76	39	19	67	31	.	16	24	28	33	31	22	26
Curlew	27	85	76	56	38	32	21	1	50	10	17	53	46	17	116
Redshank	9	14	5	3	44	.	5	.	.	.	1	3	2	24	32
Greenshank	.	.	.	.	.	1	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	2
Green Sandpiper	1	1	.	.	.	1	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	1
Common Sandpiper	1	6	9	1	4	3	4	.	.	3	5	5	5	1	3
Turnstone	11	14	22	1	4	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	6
Mediterranean Gull	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1
Black-headed Gull	291	191	264	139	139	125	231	58	351	240	388	272	476	420	402
Common Gull	4	19	15	129	38	29	9	.	11	53	49	11	20	42	16
Lesser Black-backed Gull	500	448	632	857	1034	864	782	153	773	768	1427	1083	1193	1420	1402
Herring Gull	1015	1025	1796	1142	1605	1357	1540	185	2145	1670	2587	3807	2607	3570	3380
Great Black-backed Gull	131	17	46	36	63	104	38	10	84	36	58	66	50	94	78
Kittiwake	7	2	2	1	2	2	1	.	.	.	.	2	290	114	84
Sandwich Tern	.	6	23	27	8	19	14	.	20	1	16	38	5	25	55
Common Tern	8	64	42	3	16	19	24	1	36	24	50	15	82	26	43
Arctic Tern	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Black Tern	.	.	1	.	15	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	2
Guillemot	.	.	5	.	3	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.
Razorbill	.	.	2	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	2	3	2	.
Feral Pigeon	343	522	723	963	1113	825	657	556	610	852	879	680	1007	1136	852
Stock Dove	212	263	404	388	336	411	407	16	302	303	335	317	416	470	451
Woodpigeon	3105	3300	3850	4574	4665	4943	4739	730	5089	5059	5461	5959	8492	9222	8456
Collared Dove	415	472	569	701	688	714	699	138	704	701	827	791	957	963	948
Turtle Dove	10	7	12	13	9	11	8	.	8	8	9	15	7	8	8
Cuckoo	157	171	186	158	116	143	130	8	85	84	94	94	107	117	76
Barn Owl	1	2	.	.	4	2	5	1	4	1	6	4	10	8	12
Little Owl	10	11	16	17	7	16	15	1	15	9	12	13	15	13	9
Tawny Owl	7	12	9	6	16	12	8	.	10	11	10	23	11	23	13
Long-eared Owl	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Short-eared Owl	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1
Nightjar	2	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.
Swift	1022	1175	1395	1525	1450	1198	1316	283	868	1232	1181	1023	1143	1150	1305
Kingfisher	5	6	7	7	14	8	4	2	12	12	5	8	23	20	14
Green Woodpecker	104	122	138	146	169	154	184	13	152	184	204	219	288	223	268
Great Spotted Woodpecker	86	88	116	140	127	163	159	10	178	183	223	271	388	453	374
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	2	5	3	6	4	7	1	.	3	4	1	2	5	7	8
Woodlark	9	3	5	5	1	3	4	.	1	3	3	8	11	7	5
Skylark	926	1177	1159	1280	1351	1406	1356	114	1179	1251	1410	1863	2012	2032	1650
Sand Martin	22	20	24	25	11	19	33	4	45	6	12	48	385	71	16
Swallow	1015	920	1411	1449	1430	1836	1694	103	1651	1554	2314	2478	3734	4313	2973
House Martin	813	911	1014	1104	874	1050	1096	167	1173	1160	1388	1299	1670	1880	1444
Tree Pipit	29	19	21	29	21	25	21	3	14	15	15	17	33	28	16
Meadow Pipit	98	114	179	203	270	301	282	16	322	358	387	462	478	428	292
Rock Pipit	27	9	9	9	11	4	15	.	8	14	.	1	6	6	3
Yellow Wagtail	8	10	18	19	14	3	17	.	17	9	17	8	34	13	13
Grey Wagtail	35	42	33	26	31	27	49	6	67	65	43	54	55	69	64
Pied Wagtail	165	188	221	204	253	243	235	22	235	237	280	343	339	383	354
Dipper	2	4	4	1	5	7	2	.	.	3	5	9	12	11	12
Wren	2084	2603	2082	2307	2745	3431	3429	387	3106	3258	3216	3736	4085	4836	4420
Dunnock	633	853	894	928	929	1110	1109	160	1080	1241	1245	1404	1659	1835	1580
Robin	1395	1620	1895	1889	2003	2262	2131	256	2236	2437	2486	2668	3455	3772	3588
Nightingale	3	3	2	3	4	2	1	3	4	.	3	3	3	4	7
Black Redstart	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	1	.
Redstart	8	11	12	12	14	12	12	1	7	10	10	13	16	17	25
Whinchat	9	6	10	8	11	27	14	.	10	21	12	23	28	26	24
Stonechat	17	27	24	9	35	30	46	4	63	69	88	83	94	98	95
Wheatear	14	25	50	72	70	75	41	19	59	36	95	76	70	98	81
Ring Ouzel	2	3	.	2	.	3	1	.	.	.	2	.	2	.	.
Blackbird	2064	2497	2885	3123	3315	3781	3418	561	3669	3926	4078	4730	5336	5875	5752
Fieldfare	.	86	50	11	6	4	127	.	10	57	75	.	67	29	54
Song Thrush	494	572	671	634	725	862	841	81	885	980	1021	1115	1413	1463	1375
Redwing	.	.	9	.	.	2	1	.	6	.	.	.	4	13	9
Mistle Thrush	218	214	259	264	288	265	230	28	259	261	220	244	298	328	259
Cettis Warbler	5	8	9	4	3	6	7	.	6	4	7	11	13	19	24
Grasshopper Warbler	1	10	7	4	14	4	15	1	19	12	16	22	25	13	14
Sedge Warbler	36	51	90	97	63	81	69	.	85	84	115	106	155	171	135
Marsh Warbler	.	1	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Reed Warbler	23	37	61	52	56	65	55	.	46	51	89	90	127	129	103
Blackcap	360	392	410	546	662	750	693	61	720	671	813	974	1129	1259	1056
Garden Warbler	70	71	86	102	101	98	87	11	85	74	79	106	132	173	117
Lesser Whitethroat	38	31	37	33	46	64	46	2	41	49	44	51	79	108	85
Whitethroat	280	340	481	455	457	466	503	67	589	461	614	629	907	974	764
Dartford Warbler	11	4	6	6	11	6	7	2	9	7	12	7	16	16	30
Wood Warbler	28	5	17	16	16	18	18	2	15	16	9	11	15	33	16
Chiffchaff	607	735	787	970	1142	799	883	97	920	1218	1470	1100	1253	1759	1672
Willow Warbler	410	473	452	507	498	568	549	38	386	365	380	449	575	604	485
Goldcrest	139	229	205	214	212	333	329	35	308	334	334	465	441	560	493
Firecrest	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	2
Spotted Flycatcher	29	21	36	34	44	53	44	3	29	34	50	35	69	48	56
Pied Flycatcher	4	3	2	1	1	1	5	.	3	2	.	5	3	1	9
Bearded Tit	.	.	.	6	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Long-tailed Tit	247	211	233	229	256	268	348	34	321	320	407	369	530	646	562
Marsh Tit	33	36	37	68	25	49	47	3	52	45	54	78	60	83	35
Willow Tit	17	9	7	11	10	26	15	.	2	15	8	8	14	6	14
Coal Tit	137	161	173	199	168	209	225	20	236	219	238	304	344	374	346
Blue Tit	1474	1679	2006	2247	2189	2206	2010	226	2099	2216	2333	2722	3386	3325	2837
Great Tit	707	753	928	1123	1116	1167	1216	82	1246	1311	1457	1705	2481	2375	2077
Nuthatch	78	57	88	92	101	113	126	6	139	158	183	212	263	254	198
Treecreeper	44	43	59	80	59	65	50	2	68	80	66	78	108	78	70
Golden Oriole	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.
Red-backed Shrike	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.
Jay	112	109	115	136	116	115	121	16	138	149	151	155	240	249	204
Magpie	775	905	952	1114	1081	1190	1169	135	1072	1004	1092	1255	1420	1621	1453
Chough	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.
Jackdaw	1750	1989	2260	2461	2545	2764	2623	222	2457	2712	2915	3214	4972	4976	4881
Rook	3459	4226	5003	5213	6315	6996	5089	464	4056	4159	5058	5046	8376	8247	6324
Carrion Crow	1839	2153	3359	2909	3275	3466	3493	284	3192	3287	3291	3706	5484	5320	5048
Raven	25	139	232	50	47	56	50	1	95	127	164	175	173	233	177
Starling	4131	4572	4965	5756	4558	4973	4125	644	3601	3131	3180	3379	3807	3467	2822
House Sparrow	2057	2259	2693	2908	2589	2613	2451	582	2708	2914	3490	3534	4298	4237	3928
Tree Sparrow	16	16	5	47	6	16	3	.	3	2	17	20	25	11	13
Chaffinch	2211	2465	2866	3072	3038	3289	3118	338	3071	3106	3330	3583	4794	4958	4032
Brambling	.	.	1	5	1	4	.	.	.	.	.	5	1	1	3
Serin	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Greenfinch	905	1166	1293	1449	1699	1657	1769	232	1720	1718	1900	2137	2789	2440	1771
Goldfinch	480	543	841	674	595	808	856	90	844	1011	1045	1178	1371	1494	1643
Siskin	3	36	3	5	16	11	22	.	22	11	15	42	42	96	68
Linnet	746	873	938	940	861	944	972	86	1204	1050	1020	1237	1350	1061	1319
Lesser Redpoll	.	4	4	14	49	14	44	.	16	6	23	78	27	35	7
Crossbill	16	2	3	82	51	5	8	.	4	58	2	6	49	3	13
Bullfinch	149	119	160	191	98	143	129	5	171	195	189	253	217	246	232
Hawfinch	.	.	1	.	.	2	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Yellowhammer	512	535	524	655	664	684	631	93	582	619	584	744	873	905	737
Cirl Bunting	7	3	6	4	9	3	.	.	2	3	6	8	14	12	13
Reed Bunting	30	40	63	65	43	50	58	1	42	61	64	90	101	116	91
Corn Bunting	42	62	88	87	62	81	68	17	68	41	68	73	112	123	161
Black Swan	.	.	2	1	2	6	7	.	3	2	3	3	5	4	2
Bar-headed Goose	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	2	.	.	2	.
Muscovy Duck	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Carolina Wood Duck	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	1	1	.	.	.	.	.
Peafowl	.	.	1	7	1	1	1	1	1	3	7	5	6	7	8
Helmeted Guineafowl	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	5	.	2	12	.	8
Harris Hawk	.	.	1	1	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total number of Species	130	146	156	151	150	147	143	88	138	145	142	145	155	151	156

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The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) monitors terrestrial birds throughout the UK to
provide information that underpins the conservation of species and habitats.
The BBS is organised by the BTO on behalf of BTO, JNCC and RSPB
Email: bbs@bto.org

BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK. Registered Charity Number 216652.
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