Counting Britain’s farmland birds will be easier than ever next winter as the Big Farmland Bird Count returns in February 2026 with a new digital recording platform and a renewed push to demonstrate how farming can help nature recover.
The national annual census, run by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and supported by the NFU, will take place from 6 to 22 February 2026 and will be launched from its birthplace at the Trust’s Allerton Project demonstration farm in Leicestershire.
Farmland birds have declined by 63% since 1970 — the equivalent of around 70 million birds — with more than 60% of species affected. Winter remains a particularly challenging period, when food shortages and cold temperatures take their toll, and the BFBC highlights both the scale of the problem and how it can be addressed.
Organisers are aiming to make the 2026 count the biggest yet, encouraging participation from agricultural colleges and universities alongside farmers, land managers and bird enthusiasts. As well as providing a snapshot of bird populations on farms across the UK, the count underlines the central role farmers play in conserving native wildlife.
For the first time, participants will be able to record all data using the new PERDIXPro Fieldbook app. Sightings can be logged either live in the field or later at home, using a mobile phone or tablet.
A paper count sheet will still be available, with results either posted to the GWCT or uploaded later. Guidance, bird identification resources and count sheets are available on the Big Farmland Bird Count website.
Research at the Allerton Project has shown how measures such as sympathetic hedgerow management and supplementary feeding can significantly increase both the number and diversity of birds and mammals on working farms, with regular recording essential to demonstrating what works.
Joe Stanley, GWCT’s head of sustainable farming at the Allerton Project, says: “It’s fantastic to launch 2026’s BFBC from its birthplace here at the Allerton Project, where for more than three decades we’ve been demonstrating how food production and a thriving natural environment can go hand-in-hand.
“It took a mere three years to increase our songbird numbers by 75%, showing what is possible on a working, commercial farm.”
Results from the 2025 count highlight both strong participation and ongoing pressures. Nearly 359,000 birds were recorded during 1,332 surveys, with starling the most commonly seen species. In total, 125 species were logged, including 26 red-listed species accounting for almost 140,000 birds.
The most abundant red-listed species were starling, lapwing, common gull, linnet and fieldfare, while rarer sightings included black grouse, bittern, greenshank and golden eagle. Around 65% of participating farms were in agri-environment schemes and 44% provided supplementary feeding.
Several species saw notable year-on-year declines, including fieldfare, down 52%, long-tailed tit, down 27%, and curlew, down 25%. However, recordings of red-listed common gulls rose by 112%, while sightings of amber-listed kestrels increased by 182%.
David Exwood, NFU deputy president, says: “The NFU is once again proud to support the Big Farmland Bird Count, which provides an unrivalled snapshot of the nation’s farmland birds.
“British farmers and growers are the guardians of our iconic landscapes, and schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive are making a tangible difference.”
Dr Roger Draycott, GWCT’s director of advisory, adds: “Collecting data like this is vital if we want to demonstrate that agri-environment schemes help reverse the decline in farmland birds and support the Government’s target of halting nature loss by 2030.
“By spending just half an hour in one spot on your farm or shoot, counting the birds you see and submitting your results, you can help build a national picture of what is working and where more help is needed.”
With the count returning to its roots and a new digital tool in place, organisers hope February 2026 will deliver record participation — and clearer evidence than ever of farming’s role in supporting Britain’s wildlife.
