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



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

 
 

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Species 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07
Total No squares surveyed 1172 1321 1420 1657 1712 1790 1749 531 1652 1737 1884 2177 2558 2783
Mute Swan 99 108 137 152 171 188 177 65 163 189 220 236 283 290
Whooper Swan . 1 . . 1 1 . . 1 2 2 . 1 1
Pink-footed Goose . . 2 3 2 . . . 1 3 4 3 . 1
White-fronted Goose . . 1 . . 1 . . 1 . . . . .
Greylag Goose 35 47 57 63 84 86 86 15 97 127 128 158 206 245
Feral/hybrid Goose . . . . 2 2 6 2 4 1 13 15 19 18
Snow Goose 1 . 1 1 2 1 3 . 1 . . . . 1
Canada Goose 180 216 247 287 309 346 370 91 382 385 446 492 581 643
Barnacle Goose 2 4 4 6 5 4 2 . 2 4 7 4 7 9
Brent Goose 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 . 2 2 2 2 6 5
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 72 79 93 107 112 107 110 29 93 99 110 124 157 158
Mandarin 5 7 3 10 7 17 15 6 19 23 24 15 37 35
Wigeon 3 4 3 6 1 1 6 1 2 5 9 5 5 10
Gadwall 16 15 18 19 27 25 34 17 20 29 36 39 41 52
Teal 4 10 12 10 10 8 12 2 13 18 22 17 27 15
Mallard 553 620 706 800 859 955 942 249 900 931 1034 1194 1389 1488
Feral/hybrid mallard type . . . 2 . 3 3 2 8 10 21 22 26 38
Pintail . 1 1 2 . 1 . . . 1 . . 2 3
Garganey . . 1 . 1 3 3 . . 3 . 2 3 .
Shoveler 8 10 9 7 11 14 16 2 9 12 16 17 18 15
Red-crested Pochard . 1 . 1 . . . . 3 2 1 . 1 .
Pochard 10 10 11 16 11 10 15 6 7 13 19 23 18 22
Ring-necked Duck . . . . 1 1 . . . . . . . .
Tufted Duck 85 82 96 109 114 130 135 46 106 102 122 140 158 160
Scaup . . 1 1 1 . 1 . . 1 . . . .
Eider 1 . . 1 . . . . . . . 1 3 1
Long-tailed Duck . . 1 . . 1 . . . . . . . .
Common Scoter . 1 . . . . . . . . . 1 . 1
Goldeneye 3 5 1 1 2 1 3 2 3 . 1 2 2 3
Red-breasted Merganser 1 1 2 1 2 . 1 . 2 2 2 3 2 3
Goosander 3 18 17 21 25 13 19 2 21 24 21 20 34 25
Ruddy Duck 4 4 8 6 8 7 8 4 9 9 13 17 12 13
Red Grouse 30 31 35 44 49 44 46 1 40 47 59 61 76 80
Black Grouse . 2 1 1 2 1 1 . 3 1 2 4 6 6
Capercaillie . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 .
Red-legged Partridge 261 302 366 413 427 440 404 117 415 440 564 604 681 760
Grey Partridge 166 173 229 260 204 165 181 28 170 166 188 230 268 268
Quail 11 15 6 27 22 13 8 2 9 6 10 18 7 9
Pheasant 768 870 944 1117 1175 1268 1253 293 1201 1297 1416 1648 1947 2130
Golden Pheasant 1 4 4 . 1 . 3 . . . 4 3 4 .
Lady Amhersts Pheasant . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . .
Red-throated Diver . . . 1 1 . 1 . . . . . . .
Great Northern Diver . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . .
Little Grebe 23 31 38 42 40 50 49 21 57 49 53 73 77 62
Great Crested Grebe 38 50 43 48 58 53 57 25 56 53 69 76 72 86
Black-necked Grebe . . . 2 . 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Fulmar 5 5 3 5 7 6 5 . 5 3 3 4 8 8
Manx Shearwater . . 1 . 1 1 . . . 1 . . . .
Gannet 3 3 2 1 2 3 . 1 2 3 4 3 4 5
Cormorant 68 99 92 116 129 152 167 61 165 171 223 231 281 298
Shag 3 2 2 2 3 3 1 . 1 . . 1 1 2
Bittern . . . . . . . . . . 4 1 3 .
Little Egret 1 1 4 1 1 3 2 3 8 15 28 40 38 57
Grey Heron 288 337 337 394 387 485 449 154 487 530 512 647 729 802
Purple Heron . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Glossy Ibis . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . .
Spoonbill . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . .
Honey Buzzard . 1 . . 1 . 1 . . . . 1 . .
Red Kite 1 3 4 4 6 8 11 5 19 33 39 58 82 104
Marsh Harrier 5 8 11 7 14 18 13 3 21 18 14 23 24 28
Hen Harrier . . . 3 3 3 5 1 1 2 3 2 2 2
Montagus Harrier . . 2 1 1 1 1 . 1 1 3 2 1 5
Goshawk 6 4 5 8 6 5 3 . 5 5 4 6 8 5
Sparrowhawk 190 188 182 230 260 261 255 78 230 267 270 360 387 356
Buzzard 144 166 181 267 320 317 363 43 390 467 534 626 810 898
Osprey 1 3 2 3 . . 1 . 2 . 1 2 1 .
Kestrel 399 399 365 482 515 503 471 136 425 564 483 671 745 747
Merlin 4 5 12 10 10 6 10 . 9 4 10 4 12 12
Hobby 21 22 29 28 26 30 30 15 37 38 30 42 48 55
Peregrine 7 9 12 10 17 14 16 1 19 16 18 31 31 38
Water Rail 2 3 3 . 1 1 1 . 2 5 2 4 3 4
Corncrake . 1 . . . 1 . . . . . . . .
Moorhen 348 430 404 443 500 573 555 175 528 523 581 649 779 828
Coot 115 140 148 165 207 215 224 76 199 216 244 276 318 325
Crane . 1 . . . . . . . . 1 1 2 2
Oystercatcher 73 77 103 119 121 126 127 17 125 155 174 188 215 245
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 7 4 6 12 9 6 10 4 6 15 7 15 11 15
Ringed Plover 13 10 9 12 12 11 13 8 11 16 14 16 19 16
Dotterel . . 1 2 . . . . 1 . . . . .
Golden Plover 29 27 27 32 38 32 39 2 36 44 50 52 62 56
Grey Plover . 3 1 2 . 2 5 1 2 1 1 1 5 1
Lapwing 383 408 450 445 442 479 487 95 455 545 557 666 715 733
Knot . . . . . 1 1 1 . 1 . 1 . 1
Sanderling . 1 2 1 . 1 2 1 1 . 1 1 . .
Little Stint . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . 1
Dunlin 1 10 9 6 5 5 13 6 8 12 4 9 10 7
Ruff . 1 . . . . 1 . 1 . . 2 . .
Jack Snipe . . . . 1 . . . . . . . 1 .
Snipe 47 52 48 59 51 55 49 5 56 78 81 65 92 100
Woodcock 2 8 3 3 2 9 6 1 8 11 12 8 11 17
Black-tailed Godwit 1 3 1 2 2 4 6 . 4 1 4 6 14 5
Bar-tailed Godwit 1 1 1 . 2 1 3 1 . 1 1 2 3 8
Whimbrel 14 14 13 16 14 22 15 1 17 12 23 13 23 19
Curlew 199 216 239 256 266 288 276 19 247 260 280 302 353 378
Spotted Redshank . 1 . . . 2 . . . . 1 . . 1
Redshank 36 39 46 36 47 51 57 16 51 49 67 62 64 81
Greenshank 2 . 4 6 . 4 8 1 2 1 6 4 . 6
Green Sandpiper 1 3 2 3 4 2 1 . 4 3 1 2 1 5
Wood Sandpiper . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . 1
Common Sandpiper 17 16 30 25 25 19 31 3 20 23 27 26 35 35
Turnstone 3 1 3 3 2 2 2 . 2 . 2 2 3 4
Mediterranean Gull . . . . 1 2 2 1 5 3 3 1 9 11
Little Gull 1 1 . . . 1 . . . . . 1 . .
Black-headed Gull 280 330 318 367 352 333 330 112 330 332 358 442 547 601
Common Gull 37 46 59 57 54 60 52 18 41 68 55 66 85 111
Lesser Black-backed Gull 214 234 286 327 360 374 344 97 357 375 402 447 503 586
Herring Gull 186 198 261 325 362 350 346 96 319 359 381 479 575 654
Yellow-legged Gull 1 . . . . 1 . . 1 1 . . . .
Great Black-backed Gull 26 27 35 41 50 42 42 16 39 46 37 50 64 95
Kittiwake 3 1 1 1 2 2 2 . . . . 1 1 1
Sandwich Tern 2 2 1 4 5 3 5 2 6 4 4 9 7 8
Common Tern 27 32 27 40 54 55 51 19 50 45 57 71 88 84
Arctic Tern 1 1 . 2 . 2 1 2 1 1 1 . . 1
Little Tern 1 1 3 1 3 5 . . 2 . 2 3 2 2
Black Tern . 1 2 . 3 . . . . . . . . 1
Guillemot . . 1 . 3 . . . . 1 . 1 1 1
Razorbill . . 1 . 1 . . . . 1 . 1 2 1
Rock Dove . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 .
Feral Pigeon 308 382 406 500 544 535 517 212 473 502 543 620 689 714
Stock Dove 429 501 486 549 580 664 627 170 593 666 674 751 853 895
Woodpigeon 1113 1270 1367 1599 1642 1726 1691 525 1596 1671 1815 2106 2468 2689
Collared Dove 660 748 802 964 979 1062 1044 342 989 1028 1131 1319 1491 1600
Turtle Dove 142 163 194 195 232 215 198 77 157 158 157 169 139 139
Ring-necked Parakeet 4 6 6 7 8 15 26 15 30 43 76 69 87 112
Cuckoo 547 605 623 671 633 653 620 128 455 443 554 565 635 604
Barn Owl 10 11 11 13 15 17 19 10 21 37 42 50 77 70
Little Owl 64 70 83 112 76 96 113 26 83 104 91 94 130 115
Tawny Owl 45 50 56 66 77 87 68 20 65 70 65 94 74 114
Long-eared Owl 2 1 1 2 1 1 . . 2 . 1 4 . .
Short-eared Owl 3 4 13 6 7 11 6 . 9 8 8 12 16 7
Nightjar 1 1 . 1 1 1 . . 1 2 2 2 5 3
Swift 645 686 691 744 831 850 831 304 731 788 840 1043 1129 1071
Kingfisher 22 38 31 40 40 39 33 9 46 49 42 54 80 71
Hoopoe . . . . . . . . 1 . 1 1 . .
Wryneck . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . .
Green Woodpecker 329 373 419 494 599 653 671 210 623 655 715 834 1022 1045
Great Spotted Woodpecker 327 408 472 544 592 653 678 196 683 773 875 1024 1279 1368
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 29 15 23 18 25 27 19 5 15 24 18 22 30 24
Woodlark 8 9 9 10 11 16 21 8 14 15 17 23 27 32
Skylark 878 963 1019 1173 1213 1244 1183 301 1098 1151 1233 1439 1693 1798
Sand Martin 41 60 76 66 59 83 83 24 65 65 78 94 112 108
Swallow 848 908 1033 1189 1201 1324 1285 301 1170 1228 1369 1615 1929 2002
House Martin 449 521 571 624 604 665 704 205 613 677 754 821 969 936
Tree Pipit 57 67 64 65 63 71 83 20 54 54 60 66 82 76
Meadow Pipit 261 268 293 328 344 339 328 48 308 349 386 490 539 525
Rock Pipit 3 2 3 1 5 2 3 2 1 1 1 2 3 7
Water Pipit . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . .
Yellow Wagtail 125 166 183 165 149 157 154 37 138 122 150 152 175 140
Grey Wagtail 71 88 82 83 90 119 132 36 139 146 134 182 180 228
Pied Wagtail 505 634 681 728 799 891 895 221 820 911 905 1123 1204 1316
Waxwing . . 1 . . . . . . . . 1 . .
Dipper 15 14 17 16 19 22 22 1 12 17 30 28 39 38
Wren 1059 1219 1273 1451 1544 1643 1637 486 1558 1639 1753 2043 2348 2594
Dunnock 926 1068 1142 1277 1340 1449 1433 426 1356 1447 1523 1819 2112 2274
Robin 1019 1173 1253 1461 1498 1621 1591 477 1521 1583 1725 1992 2327 2556
Nightingale 25 23 19 32 33 39 35 8 32 22 23 30 35 42
Black Redstart 2 1 . 1 3 1 1 . 1 . 2 . 3 2
Redstart 46 64 59 89 83 77 81 9 72 62 70 79 102 109
Whinchat 28 30 32 33 34 33 27 1 28 26 21 26 32 38
Stonechat 23 24 23 19 30 43 38 9 44 66 63 79 96 130
Wheatear 87 104 130 121 127 128 100 14 119 120 148 172 189 238
Ring Ouzel 10 13 9 8 17 13 10 . 14 13 17 15 18 22
Blackbird 1105 1249 1347 1565 1624 1712 1675 523 1577 1666 1798 2087 2456 2655
Fieldfare 8 30 24 25 27 20 30 3 21 68 28 11 39 35
Song Thrush 820 941 1010 1112 1175 1284 1279 388 1257 1355 1454 1655 2006 2102
Redwing 1 2 12 4 4 3 8 . 6 21 4 6 8 9
Mistle Thrush 595 662 713 787 867 948 870 246 826 897 899 1038 1104 1183
Cettis Warbler 2 4 6 4 3 9 8 2 10 8 12 21 25 32
Grasshopper Warbler 21 28 21 31 33 29 29 5 20 14 33 33 39 54
Sedge Warbler 110 129 157 172 156 187 180 63 170 151 187 187 227 241
Marsh Warbler . 1 . . 2 . 2 . . . 1 . 1 .
Reed Warbler 56 68 78 82 105 97 104 39 94 94 117 133 163 166
Blackcap 642 726 749 933 1073 1157 1160 356 1088 1081 1288 1451 1701 1747
Garden Warbler 213 256 292 342 353 369 358 88 282 291 319 399 425 428
Lesser Whitethroat 198 179 211 151 197 211 227 53 202 207 230 263 346 356
Whitethroat 594 689 848 953 952 973 1015 291 947 948 1087 1230 1454 1520
Dartford Warbler 4 3 3 2 6 5 5 5 3 6 9 10 15 15
Wood Warbler 27 21 23 30 33 31 24 6 17 18 20 24 30 31
Chiffchaff 557 647 687 846 983 914 942 265 966 1134 1250 1285 1388 1686
Willow Warbler 716 797 846 947 951 998 910 192 707 711 804 902 1023 1103
Goldcrest 242 311 305 341 372 464 503 121 465 539 553 670 736 808
Firecrest 2 1 . . 1 2 5 3 3 3 1 3 5 7
Spotted Flycatcher 137 121 141 153 171 156 166 34 113 131 146 130 168 136
Pied Flycatcher 9 13 13 21 21 16 17 2 14 10 13 16 20 14
Bearded Tit . . . 2 1 . 1 . 1 1 2 3 3 2
Long-tailed Tit 426 483 496 536 587 662 739 186 605 722 783 891 1028 1140
Marsh Tit 85 99 94 133 103 120 126 32 128 131 123 151 166 159
Willow Tit 57 54 59 54 50 54 44 15 28 45 34 43 54 47
Coal Tit 277 280 321 353 377 410 419 115 445 456 500 575 679 689
Blue Tit 1035 1173 1278 1516 1548 1627 1580 487 1510 1595 1727 2011 2347 2549
Great Tit 935 1070 1149 1338 1410 1514 1489 438 1397 1506 1633 1930 2262 2435
Nuthatch 173 179 222 248 266 289 274 89 313 351 392 444 518 571
Treecreeper 166 156 205 225 193 251 207 40 199 238 225 278 336 313
Golden Oriole 1 . 1 1 . 1 . . . 1 . 1 1 .
Red-backed Shrike . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . 1
Great Grey Shrike . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jay 376 362 387 476 471 520 521 181 554 574 611 683 848 893
Magpie 880 1024 1097 1252 1324 1412 1369 432 1300 1336 1439 1688 1953 2142
Chough . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Jackdaw 682 784 830 1036 1032 1112 1137 290 1041 1129 1244 1445 1706 1813
Rook 623 703 765 881 905 894 879 173 837 853 913 1054 1261 1368
Carrion Crow 1073 1199 1288 1513 1572 1660 1623 488 1532 1622 1782 2052 2408 2632
Hooded Crow 1 1 1 . 1 1 1 . 1 . . 1 1 .
Raven 27 35 39 51 49 58 60 2 68 82 95 117 145 198
Starling 964 1103 1151 1311 1338 1422 1367 427 1260 1242 1339 1561 1714 1891
House Sparrow 808 908 985 1126 1148 1206 1154 355 1080 1121 1226 1420 1607 1724
Tree Sparrow 103 114 120 127 108 127 117 15 98 122 125 130 164 162
Chaffinch 1061 1207 1284 1512 1571 1659 1630 469 1544 1633 1763 2053 2424 2620
Brambling 2 1 3 5 8 5 6 1 2 7 3 5 6 3
Serin 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Greenfinch 801 933 1011 1193 1200 1313 1316 412 1265 1349 1492 1740 2047 2110
Goldfinch 677 727 810 897 900 977 1031 283 980 1044 1170 1384 1572 1788
Siskin 19 28 25 37 45 33 39 7 40 26 34 34 88 60
Linnet 666 759 804 926 904 952 910 233 837 944 939 1030 1074 1069
Twite 4 5 4 6 5 10 6 . 4 4 3 4 8 5
Lesser Redpoll 43 40 54 52 64 38 45 9 52 50 59 53 89 50
Crossbill 14 10 9 26 25 10 14 2 14 39 13 16 33 18
Bullfinch 307 298 354 416 348 367 359 101 350 425 432 553 498 580
Hawfinch 1 1 3 2 . 2 4 . . 1 . . 2 2
Snow Bunting . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . .
Yellowhammer 717 795 812 976 962 992 955 227 862 885 945 1076 1239 1325
Cirl Bunting 3 1 3 3 3 2 . . 2 1 2 2 4 6
Reed Bunting 217 245 255 258 261 297 259 75 254 302 319 411 498 526
Corn Bunting 144 133 140 163 132 162 118 37 109 116 109 127 155 155
Black Swan . . 1 2 3 3 5 2 4 2 3 3 3 3
Swan Goose . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Bar-headed Goose . 1 . . . 1 3 . 2 . 3 . 1 2
Hawaian Goose . . . . 1 1 . . . . . . . .
Australian Shelduck . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . .
Muscovy Duck . . 1 1 . 2 2 . 2 . 2 . . .
Carolina Wood Duck . . 2 1 1 . . . 1