Seabirds Count: Breeding Population Census for Britain and Ireland, 2015-2021

Over 10,000 sites and 25 seabird species were surveyed between 2015 and 2021 for the fourth census of Britain and Ireland's breeding seabirds. The results, published by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee in November 2023, provide population estimates and trends. Several datasets are available, including comparative data with the previous Seabird 2000 census and summaries for 173 Special Protection Areas.

Use Cases

• Analyze population trends for 25 seabird species based on census results from 2015-2021.
• Compare current seabird estimates with historical data from the Seabird 2000 census.
• Assess conservation status across 173 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) using total percentage change data.
• Model relationships between seabird populations and environmental pressures as referenced in the description.

Strengths

• Covers over 10,000 surveyed sites across Britain and Ireland.
• Includes data for 25 internationally important seabird species.
• Provides comparative analysis with a previous major census (Seabird 2000).
• Summarizes results for 173 designated Special Protection Areas.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the UK and Ireland focus.

Provenance

Source

Joint Nature Conservation Committee

Collection Method

Field survey census conducted at breeding sites.

Time Range

2015-2021

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-14 09:48:21.115266; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Britain and Ireland