Number of 1km squares in which each species
was recorded in UK



These figures show the total number of squares in which a given species was recorded at least once in a particular year. They provide as useful indication of which species are widely distributed and which have more restricted distributions. For comparative purposes the data can be used to calculate the frequency of occurrence of each species by dividing the number of squares occupied 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 (less than 30-50 squares). While these figures may provide a general indication of major changes in distributions 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
Total No squares surveyed 1569 1747 1920 2195 2311 2395 2301 638 2205 2326 2530 2889 3287 3604
Mute Swan 115 128 150 172 194 219 214 69 204 225 259 278 318 335
Whooper Swan . 3 . . 3 4 1 . 1 7 3 1 4 4
Pink-footed Goose 3 1 4 7 4 5 7 . 6 7 9 7 6 5
White-fronted Goose . . 1 1 . 1 1 . 2 . 1 1 1 1
Greylag Goose 50 64 75 85 99 102 109 20 120 156 152 194 249 292
Feral/hybrid Goose . . . 1 2 2 6 2 4 1 16 15 20 18
Snow Goose 1 . 1 1 2 1 3 . 1 . . . . 1
Canada Goose 185 228 261 298 324 367 400 97 407 413 487 532 635 693
Barnacle Goose 2 4 5 6 5 4 2 . 2 4 9 4 9 11
Brent Goose 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 . 4 2 3 3 7 6
Black Brant . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 .
Red-breasted Goose . . . . . . 1 . . . 1 . . .
Egyptian Goose 2 2 . 4 7 6 8 1 7 10 15 20 19 26
Ruddy Shelduck . . 1 . 2 . 1 . . 1 1 . 2 2
Shelduck 85 96 109 127 138 128 132 31 117 129 137 153 191 187
Mandarin 5 8 3 10 8 18 17 6 20 23 25 17 39 35
Wigeon 5 7 3 10 4 2 9 1 5 7 13 6 8 13
Gadwall 17 16 18 19 32 29 35 17 23 29 38 42 44 56
Teal 13 25 27 19 20 19 22 4 19 37 31 30 38 28
Mallard 663 751 850 949 1038 1151 1116 275 1077 1119 1241 1429 1630 1737
Feral/hybrid mallard type . . . 2 . 3 3 2 8 10 21 22 29 39
Pintail . 1 3 2 . 2 1 . . 1 . . 2 3
Garganey . . 1 . 1 3 3 . . 3 . 2 3 .
Shoveler 9 11 9 9 11 15 16 3 9 14 18 19 19 17
Red-crested Pochard . 1 . 1 1 . 1 . 3 3 1 . 1 .
Pochard 11 10 11 18 13 12 16 6 9 15 19 25 19 24
Ring-necked Duck . . . . 1 1 . . . . . . . .
Tufted Duck 97 94 115 128 135 149 154 50 128 121 135 162 185 184
Scaup . . 1 1 1 . 2 . . 2 . . 1 .
Eider 7 9 6 8 6 6 10 3 10 6 10 12 17 20
Long-tailed Duck . . 1 . . 1 . . . . . . . .
Common Scoter 1 2 1 1 . . . . . . . 2 . 2
Goldeneye 5 7 2 2 3 2 7 2 6 4 3 5 7 8
Red-breasted Merganser 7 7 10 11 15 15 13 4 10 12 14 11 16 13
Goosander 20 31 32 32 46 31 33 3 32 41 36 36 53 41
Ruddy Duck 5 4 8 6 10 8 9 4 10 11 16 19 13 14
Red Grouse 83 92 103 118 128 113 97 18 91 98 113 112 117 145
Ptarmigan 2 1 3 2 2 3 2 . 2 1 . . 1 4
Black Grouse 5 13 9 14 9 10 9 1 8 4 10 7 16 18
Capercaillie . . . 1 . . . . . . . . 1 .
Red-legged Partridge 262 306 369 418 433 443 416 120 423 450 584 623 699 794
Grey Partridge 183 199 268 292 239 186 204 36 196 180 209 249 291 302
Quail 11 17 6 28 28 16 9 3 10 7 13 21 9 10
Pheasant 903 1014 1138 1318 1399 1483 1469 330 1416 1533 1706 1986 2292 2546
Golden Pheasant 1 4 4 . 1 . 3 . . 1 4 3 4 .
Lady Amhersts Pheasant . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . .
Red-throated Diver 13 11 14 17 14 12 13 6 13 13 12 15 14 10
Black-throated Diver 1 1 1 4 4 5 2 1 3 1 4 5 3 6
Great Northern Diver 1 . 1 1 1 3 2 . 1 1 1 3 4 2
Little Grebe 28 37 42 50 50 58 63 22 69 66 66 92 95 82
Great Crested Grebe 43 53 46 57 67 59 64 25 61 58 73 84 79 94
Black-necked Grebe . . . 2 . 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Fulmar 18 19 17 21 24 20 21 3 27 16 25 27 32 22
Manx Shearwater . . 1 . 1 1 . . 1 1 . . . .
Gannet 4 8 5 5 7 8 3 3 9 6 15 14 19 17
Cormorant 81 114 115 132 164 190 210 67 206 207 270 284 331 345
Shag 6 6 8 7 8 9 5 2 5 5 15 14 18 16
Bittern . . . . . . . . . . 4 1 3 .
Little Egret 1 1 4 1 2 3 2 3 9 16 32 44 43 58
Grey Heron 338 400 414 493 500 596 565 171 601 663 632 797 870 944
Purple Heron . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Glossy Ibis . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . .
Spoonbill . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . .
Honey Buzzard . 1 . . 1 . 1 . . 1 . 1 . .
Black Kite . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . .
Red Kite 9 10 12 13 14 24 26 7 38 51 68 94 123 139
White-tailed Eagle . . . 1 1 . 2 . 2 1 1 2 . 1
Marsh Harrier 5 9 11 7 14 19 13 3 21 18 16 25 27 31
Hen Harrier 5 9 10 16 14 16 14 3 7 15 10 12 19 15
Montagus Harrier . . 2 1 1 1 1 . 1 1 3 2 1 5
Goshawk 7 5 7 11 9 10 9 2 11 13 7 11 13 15
Sparrowhawk 222 215 228 276 327 311 299 82 283 332 315 427 476 446
Buzzard 286 323 356 463 551 596 644 83 676 773 861 1000 1174 1338
Golden Eagle 6 7 10 7 2 3 4 1 4 4 3 7 2 5
Osprey 3 6 3 4 6 3 5 . 8 4 7 7 5 7
Kestrel 461 458 443 563 599 576 533 151 502 642 580 773 846 847
Merlin 10 12 16 23 23 9 17 2 17 14 14 10 19 21
Hobby 22 23 29 29 29 32 30 15 40 39 31 43 49 58
Peregrine 26 22 30 26 34 30 31 2 30 30 40 56 51 60
Water Rail 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 . 4 8 7 10 7 8
Spotted Crake . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 .
Corncrake 1 2 1 3 3 2 2 3 1 1 2 1 2 2
Moorhen 376 455 441 488 558 630 601 183 570 572 639 709 831 891
Coot 129 153 161 182 231 239 252 80 222 245 271 302 351 358
Crane . 1 . . . . . . . . 1 1 2 2
Oystercatcher 177 200 238 255 263 267 249 44 244 284 315 346 379 427
Avocet 1 2 2 4 4 5 4 1 3 5 5 4 6 5
Stone-curlew 3 2 4 4 5 4 4 . 4 2 2 2 . 3
Little Ringed Plover 8 4 6 13 10 7 10 4 7 15 7 15 11 16
Ringed Plover 25 20 22 23 22 24 22 12 20 28 26 27 33 35
Dotterel 2 . 3 2 1 3 1 . 2 . . . 1 .
Golden Plover 81 77 78 100 93 72 76 10 66 82 80 91 112 114
Grey Plover . 3 1 3 . 2 5 1 2 1 1 1 6 1
Lapwing 493 507 570 562 550 591 594 112 558 656 659 790 844 864
Knot . . . . . 1 1 1 . 1 . 1 1 1
Sanderling . 1 2 2 . 2 2 1 1 . 3 2 1 1
Little Stint . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . 1
Purple Sandpiper . . 1 . . . . . . . . 1 1 1
Dunlin 23 29 33 30 29 19 31 10 19 26 18 26 23 27
Ruff . 1 . . . . 1 . 1 . . 2 . .
Jack Snipe . . . . 1 . . . . . 1 . 1 .
Snipe 104 119 134 134 116 120 107 16 125 149 154 144 166 202
Woodcock 6 11 7 5 3 10 7 2 8 12 15 11 15 17
Black-tailed Godwit 1 3 1 2 2 4 6 . 4 1 5 8 15 6
Bar-tailed Godwit 1 2 1 . 2 1 3 2 1 2 2 2 5 9
Whimbrel 20 22 23 23 19 27 24 3 26 16 30 23 31 31
Curlew 354 378 434 460 474 498 482 44 430 433 450 476 520 587
Spotted Redshank . 1 . . . 2 . . . . 1 1 . 1
Redshank 59 66 74 60 68 70 88 21 71 71 94 89 97 118
Greenshank 11 13 11 19 13 16 12 2 6 6 11 17 9 17
Green Sandpiper 2 4 2 4 4 3 1 . 4 4 2 2 3 5
Wood Sandpiper . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . 1
Common Sandpiper 55 47 73 80 76 54 66 14 50 50 58 56 74 60
Turnstone 4 3 4 4 4 4 3 . 4 . 4 6 12 6
Red-necked Phalarope . . . . . . 1 1 1 . 1 1 1 1
Arctic Skua 9 6 9 7 6 8 8 2 8 6 9 6 7 6
Great Skua 6 5 5 7 4 7 7 1 8 10 10 10 9 9
Mediterranean Gull . . . . 1 2 2 1 5 3 3 1 9 11
Little Gull 1 1 . . . 1 . . . . . 1 . 1
Black-headed Gull 372 420 423 481 480 448 442 130 430 442 480 548 652 712
Common Gull 109 120 143 136 129 132 123 34 105 139 123 151 169 213
Lesser Black-backed Gull 294 327 380 454 490 531 486 125 498 537 553 637 676 799
Herring Gull 320 336 420 494 567 566 556 147 527 561 619 742 844 973
Yellow-legged Gull 1 . . . . 1 . . 1 1 . . . .
Iceland Gull . . . . 1 . . . . 1 . . . 1
Great Black-backed Gull 64 68 89 100 113 98 86 28 83 97 95 119 143 168
Kittiwake 3 1 1 1 2 2 5 . 1 1 4 2 2 4
Sandwich Tern 5 4 2 6 9 5 5 3 14 8 12 17 17 11
Roseate Tern . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Common Tern 29 36 32 45 57 60 56 20 60 55 63 77 95 89
Arctic Tern 7 10 5 9 3 6 7 2 8 6 9 7 10 10
Little Tern 1 1 3 1 3 5 . . 2 1 3 4 4 4
Black Tern . 1 2 . 3 . . . . . . . . 1
Guillemot . . 3 . 3 1 1 . 2 1 3 4 5 5
Razorbill . . 3 . 3 3 . . . 1 2 7 4 3
Black Guillemot 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 . 2 3 3 2 4 3
Puffin . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 .
Rock Dove 7 6 8 9 7 11 8 4 12 10 11 10 15 13
Feral Pigeon 366 451 480 583 652 638 617 240 569 596 673 754 817 873
Stock Dove 459 538 527 588 640 714 675 178 644 721 734 831 919 970
Woodpigeon 1357 1542 1712 1953 2075 2181 2113 599 2029 2128 2317 2670 3048 3323
Collared Dove 726 818 889 1062 1111 1194 1168 371 1112 1175 1323 1521 1718 1824
Turtle Dove 142 163 198 201 236 217 201 78 160 160 162 171 141 140
Ring-necked Parakeet 4 6 6 7 8 15 26 15 30 43 76 70 87 112
Cuckoo 660 716 776 820 795 811 761 153 588 559 715 734 801 770
Barn Owl 11 13 12 13 19 18 21 10 22 38 45 54 81 72
Little Owl 67 71 85 116 80 100 120 27 85 105 93 98 130 118
Tawny Owl 56 61 71 80 95 104 82 24 77 73 74 108 82 132
Long-eared Owl 2 3 1 3 2 4 . . 4 2 2 6 1 .
Short-eared Owl 9 12 25 18 18 13 10 . 14 16 20 20 25 12
Nightjar 1 2 . 1 1 2 . . 1 2 2 2 5 3
Swift 720 771 789 832 971 995 969 327 869 939 980 1215 1328 1220
Kingfisher 24 41 34 48 45 45 39 9 55 59 48 62 88 79
Hoopoe . . . . . . . . 1 . 1 1 . .
Wryneck . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . .
Green Woodpecker 359 408 452 535 661 698 723 213 666 701 781 910 1079 1119
Great Spotted Woodpecker 363 461 520 598 669 740 757 213 770 865 991 1180 1428 1564
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 29 17 26 18 27 30 20 5 17 26 19 24 31 27
Woodlark 8 9 9 10 11 16 21 8 14 15 17 23 27 32
Skylark 1125 1240 1344 1515 1567 1581 1488 355 1393 1457 1567 1813 2090 2245
Sand Martin 54 82 114 99 96 122 120 32 102 89 125 144 165 160
Swallow 1061 1121 1328 1530 1595 1749 1681 362 1564 1622 1833 2140 2466 2594
House Martin 530 620 702 751 770 875 905 228 791 862 967 1060 1214 1167
Tree Pipit 108 112 120 119 134 142 154 39 106 100 114 125 146 145
Meadow Pipit 522 559 632 670 696 701 661 111 635 700 743 878 931 982
Rock Pipit 10 11 12 11 21 13 15 5 16 12 18 17 23 23
Water Pipit . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . .
Yellow Wagtail 128 168 184 170 150 159 161 37 143 123 154 152 178 143
Grey Wagtail 114 144 120 124 148 202 202 49 213 230 205 280 257 326
Pied Wagtail 671 817 915 957 1073 1186 1161 261 1077 1212 1220 1479 1543 1703
Waxwing . . 1 . . . . . . . . 1 1 .
Dipper 33 38 47 43 60 54 54 3 33 48 54 64 68 70
Wren 1350 1540 1612 1835 2015 2141 2113 564 2020 2134 2308 2659 2977 3285
Dunnock 1091 1245 1363 1543 1666 1802 1749 476 1680 1822 1920 2262 2558 2748
Robin 1277 1447 1575 1830 1930 2079 2026 547 1947 2039 2240 2564 2903 3173
Nightingale 25 24 20 32 33 39 35 8 32 22 24 31 35 42
Black Redstart 2 1 . 1 3 1 1 . 1 . 2 . 3 2
Redstart 95 114 118 149 156 152 151 14 139 120 140 150 181 189
Whinchat 66 79 93 88 95 82 69 11 63 57 55 64 73 85
Stonechat 52 63 47 50 83 122 118 23 120 150 157 218 224 307
Wheatear 189 227 259 252 265 278 222 34 254 249 286 337 353 427
Ring Ouzel 21 20 20 16 29 23 18 1 21 17 23 22 28 29
Blackbird 1355 1510 1665 1922 2042 2170 2110 592 2019 2135 2320 2670 3039 3296
Fieldfare 10 40 25 30 35 21 36 3 28 78 29 14 43 37
Song Thrush 1033 1168 1290 1405 1548 1673 1662 446 1645 1759 1902 2158 2518 2650
Redwing 2 6 14 7 4 5 9 . 11 27 6 10 11 10
Mistle Thrush 710 783 860 957 1092 1185 1095 275 1059 1137 1159 1329 1387 1481
Cettis Warbler 2 4 6 4 5 10 9 2 12 10 14 23 28 35
Fan-tailed Warbler . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 .
Grasshopper Warbler 41 45 56 76 90 57 59 8 51 57 81 77 79 105
Sedge Warbler 161 192 248 273 262 297 289 82 267 230 294 298 344 368
Marsh Warbler . 1 . 1 2 . 2 . . . 1 . 1 .
Reed Warbler 57 70 81 86 108 100 107 41 102 97 122 140 170 178
Blackcap 716 799 833 1057 1243 1324 1329 381 1276 1274 1517 1711 1958 2020
Garden Warbler 268 310 348 410 442 456 423 97 351 360 410 480 498 524
Lesser Whitethroat 206 189 217 157 208 220 239 53 214 215 246 274 355 373
Whitethroat 678 788 967 1078 1108 1129 1163 321 1095 1091 1296 1446 1669 1752
Dartford Warbler 4 3 3 2 6 5 5 5 3 6 9 11 18 18
Wood Warbler 63 50 51 67 70 57 54 13 47 32 47 50 62 57
Chiffchaff 645 738 805 987 1179 1079 1108 289 1150 1352 1504 1560 1630 1979
Willow Warbler 976 1088 1196 1333 1385 1439 1313 260 1093 1126 1260 1381 1505 1652
Goldcrest 348 444 455 527 576 677 705 150 657 736 782 959 984 1103
Firecrest 2 1 . . 1 2 5 3 3 4 2 3 5 8
Spotted Flycatcher 173 164 197 215 226 221 230 43 157 178 208 205 241 187
Pied Flycatcher 36 37 34 48 50 49 45 2 43 32 35 39 40 35
Bearded Tit . . . 2 1 . 1 . 1 1 2 3 3 2
Long-tailed Tit 475 543 555 609 671 767 839 197 701 819 880 1019 1155 1274
Marsh Tit 89 115 106 143 117 130 146 35 141 142 140 167 183 171
Willow Tit 63 57 66 63 62 62 50 15 31 52 42 52 60 53
Crested Tit 1 . 2 2 1 2 1 . 1 1 1 4 4 3
Coal Tit 415 425 511 564 606 629 619 146 693 700 766 875 956 1003
Blue Tit 1234 1387 1563 1838 1917 2026 1927 545 1888 2016 2182 2523 2854 3117
Great Tit 1115 1266 1391 1628 1756 1872 1826 490 1751 1887 2062 2417 2753 2978
Nuthatch 206 216 261 302 332 348 335 92 393 413 469 543 599 656
Treecreeper 214 215 270 292 267 345 283 49 278 320 312 371 434 419
Short-toed Treecreeper . . 3 3 2 4 3 3 4 1 2 3 3 .
Golden Oriole 1 . 1 1 . 1 . . . 1 . 1 1 .
Red-backed Shrike 1 . . 2 . . . . . . . 1 . 2
Great Grey Shrike . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . .
Woodchat Shrike . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . .
Jay 422 395 434 540 560 601 608 195 641 667 730 810 969 1018
Magpie 1025 1149 1287 1477 1609 1713 1655 462 1579 1642 1773 2064 2314 2514
Chough 3 5 2 6 6 6 5 1 6 10 8 6 8 13
Jackdaw 848 956 1048 1282 1336 1429 1425 329 1347 1452 1598 1832 2102 2256
Rook 777 857 958 1106 1154 1168 1130 197 1092 1112 1192 1345 1560 1702
Carrion Crow 1306 1456 1568 1823 1938 2038 1995 559 1890 1991 2208 2513 2894 3165
Hooded Crow 73 72 111 129 123 123 116 23 122 149 142 158 152 182
Carrion/Hooded (intermediate) . . . . . 1 1 . . 1 . 1 . .
Raven 120 123 147 161 188 199 217 12 204 244 258 299 338 420
Starling 1140 1294 1385 1561 1643 1729 1661 479 1559 1551 1675 1929 2084 2303
House Sparrow 937 1056 1155 1316 1392 1465 1386 398 1321 1391 1528 1761 1939 2082
Tree Sparrow 114 127 142 149 130 152 142 21 123 148 156 159 210 201
Chaffinch 1363 1523 1676 1927 2060 2155 2094 554 2011 2127 2322 2669 3051 3312
Brambling 3 3 4 7 9 5 6 1 2 8 6 6 7 4
Serin 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Greenfinch 921 1066 1176 1394 1442 1570 1565 460 1517 1617 1806 2092 2429 2492
Goldfinch 780 839 949 1075 1109 1194 1273 318