Wintering Bird Surveys

What are wintering bird surveys for?

Wintering bird surveys are often required where proposals have the potential to impact upon internationally designated populations of overwintering birds and/or the habitats they rely upon. In southern England this is often related to coastal habitat, floodplain grassland or large waterbodies, and their associated usages by wildfowl and waders. However, wintering bird surveys of agricultural land can also be necessary: particularly where arable field margins or stubble crop may function as an important food resource for notable passerine species in the winter months.

What happens during a wintering bird survey?

The current guidelines recommended a minimum of monthly surveys by an experienced surveyor between November and February (the core months) with consideration also given to October and March should a site have potential for notable species on passage. If your site is particularly sensitive (i.e. located in close proximity to an SPA or RAMSAR site) designated for wildfowl it may be necessary to increase the survey effort accordingly.

The survey visits will involve the surveyor walking a pre-determined transect route and counting all of the birds encountered and mapping their distribution within the site and the immediate surroundings. For sites located near to (but not immediately on) the coast, surveys may be timed to coincide with high tide to maximise the likelihood of encountering birds that would otherwise be feeding on mudflats or along the stand line.

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