Environmental Statistics

Wild Bird Indicators for The English Regions: 1994-2007

Published: 12 May 2009

The index of wild bird populations is one of the Government’s key indicators for sustainable development in the United Kingdom. Bird populations are considered a good indicator of the broad state of wildlife and countryside because they occupy a wide range of habitats, they tend to be near or at the top of the food chain, and considerable long-term data on bird populations have been collected.

Regional versions of this key indicator have been developed on behalf of Defra by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

The key regional results are as follows:

  • Between 1994 and 2007, the population indices of farmland birds showed a decline of more than 10 per cent (which is considered a significant change for these indicators) in five regions: the South West, the South East,  the East of England, the East Midlands and the West Midlands. The farmland birds index for England decreased by 13 per cent over the same period.
  • The population indices for woodland birds increased by more than 10 per cent in 4 regions – the North West, the North East, Yorkshire & the Humber and the East Midlands. There was a 6 per cent drop in the woodland birds index for England.

These regional indicators are summarised in a Defra statistical report Wild Bird Indicators for the English Regions: 1994-2007 (PDF 291KB) which is based on a research report produced for Defra by the RSPB and BTO to be published shortly.


In Detail:
Birds population


Further Information:
Source: Defra, RSPB, BTO
Key Facts:
Population of wild birds
Changes in farmland bird populations
Changes in woodland bird populations
Sustainable Development Indicators:
See: UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy indicators
References, further reading and links to other resources:
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)

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Page last modified: 12 May 2009
Page published: 15 March 2007