GWCT's annual bird count paints a positive picture

The GWCT's 10th Big Farmland Bird Count was another success, and the results highlight the benefits that shooting brings to conservation

- David Tomlinson

White-tailed eagles, white storks, bitterns and cirl buntings were just a few of the rarer birds recorded in this year’s GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count (BFBC). This was the 10th year the count has been held, and an impressive 149 species were recorded on farms throughout Britain. Over 1,700 farms took part, covering more than 1.5 million acres.

The count’s organiser, Dr Roger Draycott, commented: “The fact that the count is still going strong after 10 years highlights the passion and commitment that British farmers have for the birds on their farms and their keenness to understand how the birds — whether red-listed or not — are faring.”