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News

Farmers urged to take part in Big Farmland Bird Count

United Kingdom
biodiversity
wildlife

It’s an ideal opportunity to celebrate the work done for biodiversity on farms.

Farmers are being encouraged to spend half an hour observing the biodiversity on their land by taking part in the Big Farmland Bird Count.

The event’s organiser, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), is keen to attract more nature-friendly farmers this year, after participant numbers have plateaued in recent years.

The Big Farmland Bird Count runs from 6 and 22 February. Farmers are asked to spend 30 minutes at a spot on their land - ideally with a view over a couple of hectares - counting the numbers and species of birds they see.

The event website offers a range of resources to support farmers, including counting sheets and bird recognition guides. Last year, around 1,400 farmers, managing 700,000 acres of land, took part in the citizen science survey, collectively spotting 125 bird species.

Joe Stanley, Head of Sustainable Farming at The Allerton Project, where this year’s count is being launched, said: “The Big Farmland Bird Count is really important because it allows farmers to showcase the good work they are doing for wildlife and celebrate our success stories. It also helps us build a helpful year-on-year dataset to track how we are helping farmland birds.

Spending time counting birds on your farm helps you understand the wildlife your land supports and the real impact of your management choices.

Martin Lines

“Just taking half an hour to look for birds isn’t something all farmers make time for, so it’s a great way to connect them with what is happening on their farm. It can be really rewarding, especially if they spot those red-listed, rare species they didn’t even know were living on their land.”

Joe suggests choosing areas of the farm that already support wildlife, such as those with supplementary feeding or other nature-friendly farming practices, as ideal spots for the count.

The NFFN is also supporting the count and encouraging its farmer members to get involved.

Our CEO, Martin Lines, said: “It’s great to see the Big Farmland Bird Count happening again this year, and I’d really encourage farmers to take part. 

“Spending time counting birds on your farm helps you understand the wildlife your land supports and the real impact of your management choices. Taking part also highlights the responsibility farmers have to know what’s on their land and to play an active role in protecting and improving biodiversity for the future.”

To find out more about the event, visit the Big Farmland Bird Count website.

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