Reports

Much of JNCC’s work on birds is published in the JNCC Report Series, but additional reports are produced from joint surveillance and monitoring schemes by our partners.  However, some of our work is published in scientific journals or internal reports and is not readily accessible.  For this reason, we provide access to some of this material in this section, as well as direct access to some JNCC Reports.

WWT/JNCC Waterbird Review Series

A collection of detailed appraisals of the status of non-breeding swans and geese in the UK, bringing together up to four decades of data and knowledge. Each review focuses on one population and the introductory sections describe abundance, distribution and ecology, particularly in Britain and Ireland but also throughout the population's range. Gaps in our knowledge are identified and the conservation threats facing the population are described. Central to each review is a detailed inventory of important sites. For each key site, numbers and trends are presented along with a summary of site protection status, habitats and site usage by the population.

The WRS currently includes reviews of Mute Swan, Bewick's Swan and Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Bean Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Iceland Greylag Goose, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, East Atlantic Light-bellied Brent Goose and East Canadian High Arctic Light-bellied Brent Goose. A review of the Greenland Barnacle Goose is in preparation.

The reviews are available to download from the WWT website. 

BTO/JNCC Partnership

The JNCC and BTO have enjoyed a long and productive partnership since the early 1960s - this partnership was renewed for a further six year period in 2004. The BTO carries out work under eight programmes of survey and research, providing the Country Agencies and the BTO with crucial information on the status of UK birds. The eight programmes are: licensing; surveys of non-breeding waterbirds; surveys of terrestrial birds; the national ringing scheme; monitoring and research of bird survival and movements; monitoring and research of breeding performance and productivity; producing alerts and making population assessments; and research on environmental change prediction. The results from the partnership work are widely published in various forms, from papers in scientific journals to content on the BTO's website, and further information is available elsewhere in the Species/Birds section of this website. An annual report, which summarises activity in the eight programmes, is published as a JNCC Report - these are available to download below. An annual Partnership Board is attended by BTO and JNCC staff and the Country Agency ornithologists and aims to provide a strategic development role for the partnership.

Annual Reports available:
Services in Ornithology: Annual Report 2001-2002 (2002) JNCC Report, No. 326
Services in Ornithology: Annual Report 2002-03 & 2003-04 (2004) JNCC Report, No. 368
Services in Ornithology: Annual Report 2004-05 (2006) JNCC Report, No. 382
Services in Ornithology: Annual Report 2005-2006 (2007) JNCC Report, No. 395

Wildlife and pollution

The Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme (PBMS) is a long-term monitoring programme that examines the levels of certain pollutants in selected wildlife species in Britain. The programme was started in 1963, when there were serious concerns over the effects of organochlorine insecticides and organomercury fungicides on various species of birds and mammals. Early work demonstrated the deleterious effects of organochlorines and contributed to the ban on their use in the UK and abroad. The PBMS has expanded over the years and currently monitors carcasses and/or eggs of particular species for organochlorine (OC) pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury and anticoagulant rodenticides. The scheme is run by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) on behalf of the funding partners JNCC, the Environment Agency (EA) and CEH.  Annual reports are produced that provide a summary and details of findings. Several modifications to the scheme have been made in the past to ensure that it responds to emerging issues; the proposals for each of these modifications are also published.

PBMS Annual Reports:
1997/98 (JNCC Report 285)
1998/99 (JNCC Report 305)
1999/2000 (JNCC Report 321)
2000/2001 (JNCC Report 351)
2001/2002 (JNCC Report 352)
2002/2003 (JNCC Report 390)
2003/2004 (JNCC Report 391)

PBMS Modification Proposals:
2002 (JNCC Report 320)
2005 (JNCC Report 353)

UK Raptor Working Group Report (PDF, 992 kb)

The UK Raptor Working Group (RWG) was established by Government in 1995 with the task of considering issues relating to birds of prey and the impacts of these species on game birds and racing pigeons. The report of the RWG (published in 2000) summarises the work of the Group and presents vital information on the status of birds of prey and their interactions with game bird populations and racing pigeons. It makes comprehensive recommendations for future action to resolve the issues surrounding birds of prey.

Birds of Prey in a Changing Environment 

In December 2000, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the British Ornithologists' Union (BOU) and JNCC held a major national conference on birds of prey.  The agenda covered a wide range of issues under various themes: status in Britain and Europe, population studies, behavioural studies, implications of land-use change, conservation and management, and solving conflicts.  The proceedings of the conference were published as a book,  (Thompson, D.B.A., Redpath, S.M., Fielding, A.H., Marquiss, M. & Galbraith, C.A. (eds.) 2003. Birds of prey in a changing environment.  The Stationery Office,Edinburgh) but two of the papers, contributed in part by JNCC authors, are available here.

Stroud, D.A.  (2003).  The status and legislative protection of birds of prey in Europe.  Pp. 51-84.  In: Thompson, D.B.A., Redpath, S.M., Fielding, A.H., Marquiss, M. & Galbraith, C.A. (eds.)  Birds of prey in a changing environment.  The Stationery Office, Edinburgh.

Galbraith, C.A., Stroud, D.A. & Thompson, D.B.A.  (2003).  Towards resolving raptor-human conflicts.  Pp. 527-535.  In: Thompson, D.B.A., Redpath, S.M., Fielding, A.H., Marquiss, M. & Galbraith, C.A. (eds.)  Birds of prey in a changing environment.  The Stationery Office, Edinburgh.