Key Facts about: Wildlife

Population of wild birds: 1970-2008

United Kingdom

Source: RSPB, BTO, Defra Note: figures in brackets show the number of species

Government sustainable development strategy (SDS) indicators

Wild bird populations are considered to be a good indicator of the broad state of the wildlife and countryside. An overall ‘all bird species’ index for the UK (114 species) increased by 3 per cent between 1970 to 2008.

The breeding farmland birds index for the UK (19 species) was 47 per cent lower in 2008 than its 1970 level. Most of the decline in the farmland birds index occurred between the mid-1970s and mid-1990s, but the index increased by 2 per cent between 2007 and 2008.

The breeding woodland birds index for the UK (38 species) was 14 per cent lower in 2008 than its 1970 level. The most severe decline occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The index increased by 7 per cent between 2007 and 2008.

The breeding water and wetland birds index for the UK (26 species) increased by 1 per cent lower between 1970 and 2008 and by 6 per cent between 2007 and 2008.

The breeding seabirds index for the UK (19 species) increased by 27 per cent between 1970 and 2008 but decreased by 1 per cent between 2007 and 2008.

Public Service Agreement indicators (PSA) indicators

The index for breeding farmland birds declined markedly between the mid-1970s and the mid-1990s to around 54 per cent of the 1970 level and declined further to 48 per cent of the 1970 level in 2008, the lowest level recorded. The index decreased by 5 per cent between 2006 and 2008

The index for breeding woodland birds decreased between 1984 and 2003 to be 77 per cent of the 1970 level and was relatively stable up to 2008. The index was unchanged between 2006 and 2008

The index for breeding water and wetland birds gradually increased by 13 per cent between 1975 and 2008. The index decreased by 2 per cent between 2006 and 2008.

Related reports

A copy of the recently completed research paper by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the British trust for Ornithology (BTO) regarding habitat specific indicators is available in PDF format from the link below:

Preliminary BBS-based habitat-specific indicators for wild bird populations: 1994-2002. Download PDF (150kb)

A copy of the procedures for taking into account new and declining species in the indicators are set out in the paper completed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the British trust for Ornithology (BTO) which is available in PDF format from the link below:

Approaches to dealing with disappearing and invasive species in the UK's indicators of wild bird populations. Download PDF (150kb)

In Detail:
Further Information:
Source:
Defra, RSPB, BTO
Press Release:
Key Facts:
Sustainable Development Indicators:
Revised indicators July 2008, please see: UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy indicators
Data Tables:

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Page last modified: 12 November 2009
Page published: 18 October 2007