Common Crane with chick by Ian Francis

What if you find a rare breeding bird during the breeding season?

Most rare breeding birds are particularly susceptible to disturbance and indeed most are specially protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981). We strongly advise their whereabouts are not publicised unless the bird is breeding at a public and well protected area such as a wardened nature reserve. The finder should carefully consider who to tell; we recommend that the county/regional bird recorder (list here) is informed, in confidence, but that information is not shared with bird news organisations and local bird news grapevines – which includes sharing on local birdwatching message boards, and via social media such as on Facebook and WhatsApp groups, and sharing on personal websites, blogs, Facebook and Twitter accounts. This recommendation also applies to apparent territorial birds which may be attempting to breed. We have published two important documents on this which can be downloaded from the links below.

RBBP Statement on disturbance to rare breeding birds.

RBBP Guidelines on reporting rare breeding birds to Bird Information Services, social media and local bird news grapevines.

It is essential that your records are submitted to the county bird recorder, with full details being supplied at the end of the breeding season. In this way the information will ultimately reach the Rare Breeding Birds Panel. The data will then not be lost to science, the records will contribute to our knowledge of the status of the species, and your records can help the conservation of the species and the site in which the breeding attempt occurred.