The top five birds spotted on Scotland's farms this year, according to fresh bird count survey

The five most popular birds counted on Scotland’s farms have been revealed following a charity’s annual bird count.

The 2024 Big Farmland Bird Count (BFBC), carried out by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), saw nearly 395,000 birds spotted across 1,721 surveys UK-wide.

It is the first and only UK-wide citizen science project to involve land managers in monitoring the state of farmland birds, according to GWCT.

The humble house sparrow - just made it into the top five in Scotland in the 2024 count | Will George

A total of 140 different species were recorded and of those, 27 were red-listed. Specifically in Scotland, there were 101 counts carried out, with 19,387 birds counted and 88 species recorded, of which 22 were red-listed.

The five most common counted species on farms north of the Border were woodpigeon, rook, starling, chaffinch and house sparrow. In the UK overall, the most common counted species were starling, woodpigeon and fieldfare.

Starling was one of the most common counted species on farmland in the UK overall

“The BFBC is the first and only UK-wide citizen science project to involve land managers in monitoring the state of farmland birds,” said Ross MacLeod, head of policy for the charity in Scotland.

“Since the count started in 2014, it has given us a national snapshot of the state of nation when it comes to our farmland birds.”

The charity’s 2025 count starts on Friday, February 7 and runs for two weeks.

Mr Macleod said: “Everyone can really make a difference by taking part. By spending just half an hour in one spot on your farm or shoot, counting the birds you see and submitting your results to the GWCT, the results help us build a national picture of which species are benefiting from conservation efforts, and which are most in need of help.”

As well as providing a snapshot of the bird population on UK farms each February, the BFBC aims to raise awareness of the important role that farmers, crofters and other land managers play in the conservation of farmland birds, the charity said.

The UK’s farmland birds have declined by some 63 per cent since 1970, research has shown.

To reverse this, the GWCT said the key was to increase biodiversity, working with those who are responsible for land used for agriculture - some 72 per cent of the UK’s land.

Outgoing NFU Scotland president Martin Kennedy said: “Our farms and crofts are alive with nature and our stunning birdlife in Scotland is something to be celebrated.

“I would encourage as many farmers and crofters as possible to participate in the count, record how many bird species you spot on farm or croft this coming February and, importantly, submit your results to GWCT.

“This long-running invaluable survey pulls together a vital national snapshot of the state of nation when it comes to our birds. I urge all farmers and crofters to take half an hour out of their busy schedules to enjoy and record the birdlife around them.”

Earlier this year, the RSPB released results from its Big Garden Birdwatch. In January, 43,412 people across Scotland took part in the count in their gardens or local greenspaces. An impressive 817,395 birds were spotted across the country.

The top five birds spotted were house sparrow in first place, followed by starling, then blue tit, chaffinch and blackbird.