BirdTrack Maps & Reports

Introduction

The wealth of data that your BirdTrack records provide gives us various insights into bird distributions and movements throughout Britain and Ireland. Reports have been grouped as described below; click on the heading to view the reports (or use the main menu options directly).

Reports by Species

One of the most interesting analyses that can be done with BirdTrack records is to determine the reporting rate of different species throughout the year. This is based on the proportion of complete lists (i.e. those where the observer has recorded all species present) that record a given species. For example, if 10 BirdTrack lists in March have been entered as complete and Wheatear has been recorded on 3 of them then its reporting rate is 30%. If in April we have 20 complete lists and Wheatear has been recorded on 10 of them then its reporting rate is 50%. With a sufficiently large sample this would imply that Wheatears have become commoner in April. Hence reporting rate calculations can give us a good picture of the timing and strength of bird migration throughout the year.

This menu option shows reporting rate graphs, with a comparison against previous years, as well as details of migrant arrivals and departures.

Reports by Species (Regional)

Similarly we can use reporting rate calculations within smaller regions - often bird movements can be localised and may not follow the same pattern as the national picture.

This menu option shows the same information as above but for individual geographic regions.

Usage & Coverage Statistics

This option provides general analyses of the use of BirdTrack, both in terms of the number of submissions and geographical spread. Reports can be viewed nationally, or for individual regions.

Species by Location

It is quick and easy to find out which birds can be found in your area, at a local nature reserve, or for somewhere you are planning to visit. Display a species checklist for a location, either selected from a list of nature reserves, from any point on a map, or from a post code or grid reference. You can view records from all year round, individual months, or breeding or wintering seasons.

Using BirdTrack outputs and data

The information presented in Maps & Reports is liable to change, as observers can amend their records at any time. In addition, although we believe all data are entered by observers in good faith, County Bird Recorders, Bird Club records committees and the BirdTrack Organiser do check and validate the records on a continual basis, and correct any errors that are identified. This process takes time and may cause subsequent changes to the information displayed in Maps & Reports on a particular day.

All the Maps & Reports pages are subject to copyright so please email copyright@bto.org to request permission if you wish to reproduce any of the graphs, maps or tables.

We encourage the use of BirdTrack raw data in scientific analyses; for formal data requests please email datarequests@bto.org.

Information from the BirdTrack website should be cited as follows:

BTO/RSPB/BWI/SOC 20xx. BirdTrack. Available at: www.birdtrack.net (accessed Month 20xx).