Breeding Bird Surveys

What are breeding bird surveys for?

As with most protected/notable species the need for species-specific surveys is typically informed by the presence of suitable habitat, it’s unlikely that you are going to identify a breeding population of nightjar during a PEA, however the knowledge of the species’ habitat requirements and distribution will allow you to make an informed decision regarding the potential for the species to be present.

Typically, a general bird survey should be recommended wherever development has the potential to impact upon important assemblages of breeding birds.

Breeding habitat is highly dependent on species (see Table 1).

Protected / Notable Bird Species

Table 1 - Protected/notable species of bird, and their respective habitats, considered to be most relevant to potential development sites in the south of England.
Species	Habitat	Protection
Skylark Alauda arvensis	Arable land / rough grassland (away from trees)	S41 NERC
Corn bunting Emberiza calandra	Arable/farmland	S41 NERC
Yellowhammer E. citrinella	Arable/farmland	S41 NERC
Grey partridge Perdix perdix	Arable/farmland	S41 NERC
Yellow wagtail Motacilla flava	Farmland	S41 NERC
Barn owl Tyto alba	Farm buildings & trees, hunts in rough grassland	Sch1
Reed bunting E. schoeniclus	Wetland \| Arable	S41 NERC
Northern lapwing Vanellus vanellus	Wetland \| Farmland	S41 NERC
Bewick’s swan Cygnus columbianus	Wetland (floodplain) \| Arable	S41 NERC
Curlew Numenius arquata	Wetland \| Farmland	S41
Cetti’s warbler Cettia cetti	Wetland	Sch1
Kingfisher Alcedo atthis	Wetland	Sch1
Herring gull Larus argentatus	Coastal/wetland \| Arable \| Urban (flat roofs)	S41 NERC
Linnet Linaria cannabina	Arable \| Heathland	S41 NERC
Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus	Heathland	S41 NERC
Woodlark Lullula arborea	Heathland	Sch1 + S41 NERC
Dartford warbler Sylvia undata	Heathland	Sch1
Lesser redpoll Carduelis cabaret	Woodland \| Heathland	S41 NERC
Tree pipit Anthus trivialis	Woodland \| Heathland	S41 NERC
Red kite Milvus milvus	Woodland/Parkland	Sch1
Lesser spotted woodpecker Dendrocopus minor	Woodland	Sch1 + S41 NERC
Spotted flycatcher Muscicapa striata	Woodland	S41 NERC
Marsh tit Poecile palustris	Woodland	S41 NERC
Woodcock Scolopax rusticola	Woodland	Red List only
Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos	Scrubland	Red List only
Firecrest regulus ignicapillus	Woodland (coniferous)	Sch1
Hobby Falco subbuteo	Woodland \| Wetland	Sch1
Cuckoo Cuculus canorus	Wetland \| Woodland	S41 NERC
Dunnock Prunella modularis	Generalist	S41 NERC
Song thrush Turdus philomelos	Generalist	S41 NERC
Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula	Generalist	S41 NERC
Starling Sturnus vulgaris	Generalist	S41 NERC
House sparrow Passer domesticus	Generalist	S41 NERC
Black redstart Phoenicurus ochruros	Urban (London, Reading, Liverpool)	Sch1
Peregrine Falco peregrinus	Urban (buildings/quarries)	Sch1

What happens during a breeding bird survey?

Methods used in breeding bird surveys can include distance sampling, vantage point surveys and other methods but typically involve an experienced ecologist walking a set transect across a site and recording all bird registrations (both observations and sing/calling birds).

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