Join the Game & Wildlife Conservancy Trust (GWCT) Big Farmland Bird Count, Friday 2 to Sunday 18 February 2024, sponsored by the NFU.
Do you want to help monitor and protect the bird species on your land? If so, join the Big Farmland Bird Count (BFBC) in 2024.
As well as providing snapshot of the bird population on UK farms, the annual count aims
to raise awareness of the important role that farmers and other land managers play in the conservation of farmland birds.
“Farmland birds have declined by 63% since 1970 and desperately need our help,” explained Dr Roger Draycott, from the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).
“With 72% of the UK’s land area used for agriculture, the key to increasing biodiversity and reversing the decline in wildlife is held by those looking after this land.”
To figure out how to do this, it is important to have information from long term initiatives such as the BFBC.
Organised by the GWCT and sponsored by the NFU, the BFBC is the first UK-wide citizen science project to involve land managers in monitoring the state of farmland birds.
Skylark: Credit Rosa Hicks
The count aims to raise awareness of the important role they play in the conservation of farmland birds, and to measure the impact of the conservation work that many farmers and wildlife managers carry out.
Since 2014, nearly 13,000 counts have been carried out. Next year’s will be the 11th count.
NFU President Minette Batters said: “Alongside producing quality, climate-friendly food, our farmers and growers are the custodians of the great British countryside and work hard to boost biodiversity, create habitats for wildlife and provide additional feeding for farmland birds. During this year’s count, 149 species were recorded, including 33 species from the Red List for Birds of Conservation Concern.”
Teresa Dent CBE, chief executive of the GWCT said: “You can really make a difference by taking part and helping us to understand how our farmland birds are faring.”
Signing up for the GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count is free and no specialist knowledge or equipment is required.
Find out how to get involved in the GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count at www.bfbc.org.uk where downloadable bird guides are also available.
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