Farmers urged to prepare for farmland bird count

The Big Farmland Bird Count, taking place between 7-23 February, celebrates its 12th anniversary this year, and provides a vital snapshot of the health of farmland birds.

The annual event is organised by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and encourages farmers and land managers to record bird species and numbers on their farms.

See also: How arable farms can support farmland bird populations

The count aims to raise awareness of the important role that they play in helping farmland birds, and to measure the impact of the conservation work that many farms and estates carry out.

NFU Cymru President Aled Jones said: “The Big Farmland Bird Count always provides a fantastic snapshot of the huge amount of work being carried out on our farms to encourage wildlife.

“I would encourage members to get help from your children, grandchildren or younger friends and family as it’s a great way to connect with farming in a way that’s engaging, memorable and fun.”

In 2024, nearly 395,000 birds were spotted during 1,721 surveys. The most common species seen were starling, wood pigeon and fieldfare.

A total of 140 different species were recorded and of those, 27 were red-listed, totalling roughly 140,000 individual birds.

BFBC information session © Anne Dunn

North Wales beef and sheep farmer Teleri Fielden, who farms at Hafod y Llyn Isaf, took part in the count last year.

“It’s great to have an annual record of farmland birds on the farm,” she said. “It gives us a way to see how our farming practises are benefiting and impacting wildlife.

“We’ve really noticed how the owls like the long grass covers for hunting mice or voles, and the snipe enjoy the scrapes and ponds we’ve put in. The egrets also follow the outwintered cattle around.”

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is also encouraging schoolchildren and the public to count birds in their schoolyards and gardens through The Big Schools’ Birdwatch which runs from 7 January to 14 February and The Big Garden Birdwatch, which encourages people to spend an hour watching birds in their patch between 24–26 January.

More details of this year’s Big Farmland Bird Count are available online.