The Garden Bird Survey
Our most popular survey, the Garden Bird Survey (GBS) helps us to keep track of the fortunes of Ireland’s garden birds. It attracts over 1,000 submissions each year. As the Irish countryside changes, gardens are becoming increasingly important havens for many species, and it is vital for us to know how their populations are faring. The GBS does this not only by giving us a good idea of how our garden birds themselves are doing, but also an indication of how the environment is faring in general.
Garden birds are ideal subjects for a volunteer-based survey like this. They are among our most familiar and easily observed bird species, are easily attracted to feeders and bird tables, and can be watched from the comfort of our own homes. The way the survey works is very straightforward: between December and February each year, we ask members of the public to keep note of the highest number of each bird species visiting their garden every week. We also ask for information on the size of the garden being surveyed, the kinds of food, if any, being offered to the birds, and so on. Taking part is fun, easy and an ideal way to get to know your garden birds better; it also makes an ideal school project.
There are two ways for you to send us your records. You may use our online version of the survey, allowing you to submit your records electronically. Simply go to our Online Surveys Section and register your details, then follow the on-screen instructions. Alternatively, and as in previous years, you can download the Garden Bird Survey Form, print it, fill it out over the course of the winter and return it to us by post or fax on or before 1st April 2010; a full set of instructions is included with the form.
From the records we receive back from the public we can work out just how important gardens are for our birds and look for signs of threats or problems that they may be facing. We have seen significant changes in the occurrences of some garden bird species - the most dramatic change has been the enormous increase in the use of gardens by Goldfinches. The 2008-09 season also saw a notable increase in numbers of Long-tailed Tits visiting Irish gardens, probably a sign of increased breeding success during the summer.
The additional information provided on the size of gardens, as well as the types of food provided have given us an insight into which types of gardens are preferred. The results of the GBS are published each year in the winter edition of Wings, our quarterly membership magazine (see links on the left hand side of this page). If you have a question about the survey, please contact our survey team, or go to our information page on Ireland's top-20 garden bird species.
Of course, birds are present in our gardens year-round. They are a joy to watch during the breeding period, and there are many ways in which you can help them during this period, such as by providing nestboxes and by gardening in a wildlife-friendly manner. For more details on these and other aspects of garden bird care, please download our factsheets on nestboxes, bird tables, feeding wild birds and gardening for birds. We also receive many reports during the winter of dead or dying birds; please consult this factsheet for further details. If you have a question that is not covered in these factsheets, please contact us.