Current status: the Rare Breeding Birds Panel is currently processing records for 2008 with a view to reporting in summer 2010. The deadline for receipt of records for the 2008 breeding season was 31st January 2010 but county recorders who have missed this deadline are encouraged to contact the Panel Secretary in case data can be included.
Future deadlines for receipt of annual data on rare breeding birds: data for a particular year should be submitted to the Panel Secretary by no later than 31st December of the following year. Thus data for 2009 should be submitted by 31st December 2010.
The Panel collects data on over 160 species of rare and scarce breeding birds in the UK; these are listed under Species List. Where possible your records should be emailed or posted to the County or Regional Recorder for the area where the breeding record occurred. A list of these is available at www.britishbirds.co.uk/countyrecorders.htm. This methodology keeps local Recorders informed and allows them to place the record in context with their local situation. Using all the data received for each species for a particular year, County/Regional Recorders then submit an annual report to the Panel using special Recording Forms.
Records for each species should wherever possible include totals of breeding pairs in the three categories of Confirmed, Probable or Possible Breeding as defined by the European Bird Census Council.
Definitions of the terms confirmed, probable and possible breeding are given here --> RBBP Definitions of Breeding Evidence
Observers may, if they wish, submit records directly to the Panel Secretary, but the normal procedure is to send them in the first instance to the relevant County Recorder who will forward them to the Panel. In the case of the Less Scarce Species the County Recorder prepares a summary for the Panel.
The Panel has prepared new detailed standards to help with the selection and submission of records. These are available as a downloadable pdf document: Recording Standards
A list of species considered by the Panel from the 2006 breeding season onwards is available. Click here. RBBP collects and archives all breeding season records for the rare and scarcer breeding birds of the UK. This includes all species on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, plus other species with a breeding population of less than 300 pairs in a typical year. In addition, the Panel is keen to receive any breeding records for the rarer non-native (introduced or escaped) species such as Eagle Owl, parakeets, rare pheasants and other gamebirds, and the rarer non-native wildfowl such as Black Swan and Eygptian Goose. A list of the principal species for which data is requested is in the Excel spreadsheet (link below), but full details on any other rare breeding species, including those attempting to nest in the UK perhaps for the first time, should also be submitted. Further details on submissions are to be found under the section on Recording Forms.
For more details on the recording of rare non-native species see --> Recording of Rare Non-natives
It is the intention of the Panel to compile a downloadable matrix of species numbers by year. This will allow visitors to this site to gain an overview of the changing populations of the UK's rarest breeding birds. A review of annual coverage by recording area is also planned to provide some perspective on the level of information stored in the RBBP Archive. These are longer term developments which will be added to this website in due course, once the annual reporting is back on schedule.
Species are divided into four categories:
- Category A - Rare Species. All details requested; please use the Panel's Standard Form.
- Category B - Less Scarce Species. County summaries requested; please use the LSS Form unless there are less than 10 pairs in the county when the Standard Form should be used.
- Category C - Less Scarce and Widespread Species. There are currently no species assigned to this category.
- Category D - Rare Non-native Species. County summaries only requested; please use the Panel's LSS Form.
The RBBP species list is available to view Click here, or as an MS Excel spreadsheet Download here.