The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has extended the deadline for the Big Farmland Bird Count due to bad weather.
The national annual census of farmland birds has been extended by a week to give more farmers and managers a better chance to get out onto their land to count their birds, the closing deadline now being 1 March.
The count provides a fascinating snapshot of bird populations on farms across the country and aims to raise awareness of the vital role that farmers and other land managers play in the conservation of our native farmland birds. Given 72% of the land is farmed, national biodiversity recovery can only be achieved alongside sustainable food production.
Dr Roger Draycott, GWCT’s Director of Advisory, said: “With an extra week to participate in the BFBC, we would encourage people to wait for a gap in the wet weather and take the opportunity to take part in this hugely important survey of the UK’s farmland birds.
“The BFBC gives us a valuable national picture of the impact of farmers’ contribution to conservation and the data helps us demonstrate why it is essential that the Government continues to adequately fund agri-environment measures. The more farmers who take part, the clearer the picture we get of trends in the abundance of species and the stronger the message to policymakers.”
Signing up for the GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count is free and no specialist knowledge or equipment is required as useful tools and advice can be found on the website. For more information, please visit: https://www.bfbc.org.uk
