Farmers and landowners are being urged to set aside 30 minutes of their time tomorrow as the 2026 Great Farmland Bird Count begins across the UK.
The annual national survey conducted by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) will run from February 6 to 22 and provides a snapshot of how farm bird populations are responding to farm conservation efforts.
First launched in 2014, the initiative is the UK’s first national citizen science project to actively involve farmers in monitoring songbirds on their farmland and building evidence of effectiveness.
GWCT says this data is critical to demonstrating the impact of agri-environmental planning and farm habitat management, as well as helping to identify species that remain under pressure.
Participants will be asked to spend approximately 30 minutes recording the types and numbers of birds observed on their chosen property, and their results will be entered into a national dataset used to track long-term trends.
For 2026, the launch of a new digital platform will simplify processes.
Farmers can now submit their results through a new app, allowing them to record sightings in the field or enter them later from home using their mobile phone or tablet.
Those who prefer a paper record sheet will still be able to do so and results will be accepted by post or uploaded at a later stage.
NFU vice-chairman David Exwood said the tally provides both insight and recognition into the work farmers are already doing.
“This count gives us a unique insight into this country’s farmland birds, while showcasing a snapshot of the great work farmers do to protect the environment,” he said.
He said the findings also highlight the role of policy support. “The large numbers of farmland birds show how agri-environment schemes like SFI can make a huge difference to the environmental practices that farmers undertake,” he said.
Mr Exwood added that it is important that such plans remain available if environmental progress is to continue across operating farms.
The 2025 findings highlight the scale of farmer participation and its impact.
Approximately 359,000 birds were recorded in 1,332 surveys, with the most frequently found species being starlings, brown pigeons and black-bellied geese.
A total of 26 Red List species were recorded, with more than 139,000 individuals recorded, highlighting the importance of agricultural habitats for some of the UK’s most endangered species.
While sightings of some birds, such as long-tailed tits and great snipes, fell, data showed sharp increases in other areas, with the number of red-listed gulls increasing by 112% and sightings of short-tailed kestrels increasing by 182%.
Roger Draycott, GWCT’s advisory director, said broad participation was essential to understanding long-term change.
“Farmers and land managers are the custodians of the countryside, and they control over 70% of all land in the UK,” he said.
“We need data to prove that the good work they are doing is making a difference,” he said.
“The Great Farmland Bird Count does just that. Bird counts from across the country help build a national picture of which species are benefiting from conservation efforts and which are most in need of support,” Dr Draycott added.
He encouraged farmers to participate over the next few days, noting that the tally takes just 30 minutes and annual participation helps show how conservation effects are building over time.
