Garden BirdWatch in Scotland

What is happening to Scotland’s Garden Birds?

With more land area under garden than nature reserve in the UK, gardens are an increasingly important resource for British birds. Since 1994, thousands of people taking an interest in their garden birds have joined BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch.

Garden BirdWatch is the largest year-round study of garden birds anywhere in the world. The results have already helped researchers to understand the declines in UK populations of Starlings and Song Thrushes.

However bird populations in Scotland sometimes behave differently from the rest of UK. In general, House Sparrows have been doing better in Scotland than the rest of the UK as a whole. The results from Garden BirdWatch in Scotland have already proved invaluable in understanding what is affecting House Sparrows. The more gardens we have taking part across the whole of the country, the more we’ll be able to learn about our birds on a local level.

For Scottish Garden BirdWatch results click here.
To see the most common species in your area, use Postcode Birds.

You Can Help Us Find Out

By becoming a BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatcher in Scotland you can help us collect the information that we need to find out how Scottish garden birds are doing and which species may need conservation attention.

All you need to do is:

• Keep a weekly record of the birds seen in your garden.
• Fill in a simple paper form or enter your observations online.

For an annual contribution of £15 towards survey costs, you will receive:

• A copy of BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch Book worth £9.99
• “Bird Table” magazine four times a year, packed with latest garden bird news
• The opportunity to contribute to a national scientific survey
  

Click on the giftpack to find out how to join or buy Garden BirdWatch as a gift for someone else.

.	To request a free enquiry pack, including an issue of “Bird Table” magazine, leaflet on feeding garden birds and hygiene and a joining form click on the Bird Table magazine

Keen to Take Part, but Can’t Make the Commitment to Count?

If you believe in the importance of monitoring garden birds, but don’t feel you can make a regular count in your garden, why not join as a non-counting supporter? You will be supporting the project financially and also receive the quarterly “Bird Table” magazine. Participants are able to change from counting to non-counting as they wish.

Contacting BTO Scotland

BTO Scotland
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Cottrell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA Scotland
Tel: 01786 466560 Fax 01786 466 561 Email:  

Back to BTO Scotland