Research using CBS Data

The Countryside Bird Survey (CBS) follows a similar methodology to breeding bird surveys focused on common and widespread species elsewhere in Europe and further afield. Every year we send updated CBS to the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (PECBMS) so that Irish data can contribute to large-scale patterns of changing bird numbers, distributions and the factors underlying those changes. At the same time, we analyse CBS data at a national level and publish updated results and trends at regular intervals, with a few to informing conservation and policy on the island of Ireland.

International Research

  • Grünwald, J., Auniņš, A., Brambilla, M., Escandell, V., Eskildsen, D. P., Chodkiewicz, T., Fontaine, B., Jiguet, F., Kålås, J. A., Kamp, J., Klvaňová, A.,Kuczyński, l., Lehikoinen, A., Lindström, A., Nellis, R., Øien, I. J., Šilarová, E., Strebel, N., Vikstrøm, T., Voříšek, P. & Reif, J. (2024) Ecological traits predict population trends of urban birds in Europe. Ecological Indicators, 160, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.111926.
  • Gregory R. D., Eaton M. A., Burfield I. J., Grice P. V., Howard Ch., Klvaňová A., Noble D., Šilarová E., Staneva A., Stephens P. A., Willis S. G., Woodward I. D. and Burns F.2023. Drivers of the changing abundance of European birds at two spatial scales. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 378: 20220198.
  • Rigal S, Dakos V, Alonso H, Auniņš A, Benkő Z, Brotons L, Chodkiewicz T, Chylarecki P, de Carli E, Del Moral JC, Domşa C, Escandell V, Fontaine B, Foppen R, Gregory R, Harris S, Herrando S, Husby M, Ieronymidou C, Jiguet F, Kennedy J, Klvaňová A, Kmecl P, Kuczyński L, Kurlavičius P, Kålås JA, Lehikoinen A, Lindström Å, Lorrillière R, Moshøj C, Nellis R, Noble D, Eskildsen DP, Paquet JY, Pélissié M, Pladevall C, Portolou D, Reif J, Schmid H, Seaman B, Szabo ZD, Szép T, Florenzano GT, Teufelbauer N, Trautmann S, van Turnhout C, Vermouzek Z, Vikstrøm T, Voříšek P, Weiserbs A, Devictor V. 2023. Farmland practices are driving bird population decline across Europe. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS).
  • Gamero, A., Salvador, J. R., Gregory, R., Butler, S. & Klvaňová, A. 2023. Exploration of the association of the European bird species with the EUNIS habitats categories (level II). Addendum to the EC tender No 07.0202/2019/821208/SER/ENV.D.2. Technical and scientific support in relation to the delivery and development of wild bird indicators for the EU.
  • Burns F., Eaton M. A., Burfield I. J., Klvaňová A., Šilarová E., Staneva A., Gregory R. D. 2021. Abundance decline in the avifauna of the European Union reveals global similarities in biodiversity change. Ecology and Evolution 11(23):16647-16660.
  • Morrison, C.A., Auniņš, A., Benkő, Z. et al. 2021. Bird population declines and species turnover are changing the acoustic properties of spring soundscapes. Nature Communications 12: 6217.
  • Brlík, V., Šilarová, E., Škorpilová, J., Alonos, H., Anton, M., Aunis, A., Benko, Z., Biver, G., Busch, M., Chodkiewicz, T., Chylarecki, P., Coombes, D., de Carli, E., del Moral, J. C., Derouaux, A., Escandell, V., Eskildsen, D. P., Fontaine, B., Foppen, R. P. B., Gamero, A., Gregory, R. D., Harris, S., Herrando, S., Hristov, I., Husby, M., Leronymidou, C., Jiquet, F., Kålås, J. A., Kamp, J., Kmecl, P., Kurlavičius, P., Lehikoinen, A., Lewis, L., Lindström, A., Manolopoulos, A., Martí, D., Massimino, D., Moshøj, C., Nellis, R., Noble, D., Paquet, A., Paquet, J-V., Portolou, D., Ramírez, I., Redel, C., Reif, J., Ridzoň, J., Schmid, H., Seaman, B., Silva, L., Soldaat, L., Spasov, S., Steneva, A, Szép, T., Florenzano, G. T., teulfelbauer, N., Trautmann, S., van der Meij, T., van Strein, A., van Turnhout, C., Vermeersch, G., Vermouzek, Z., Vikstrøm, T., Voříšek, P., Weiserbs, A. & Klvaňová, A. (2021) Long-term and large-scale multispecies dataset tracking population changes of common European breeding birds. Sci Data 8, 21 (2021). Link
  • Heldbjerg, H., Fox, A. D., Lehikoinen, L., Sunde, P., Aunins, A., Balmer, D. E., Calvi, G., Chodkiewicz, T., Chylarecki, P., Escandell, V., Foppen, R., Gamero, A., Hristov, I., Husby, M., Jiguet, F., Kmecl, P., Kålås, J. A., Lewis, L. J.,  Lindström, A., Moshøj, C., Nellis, R., Paquet, J-Y., Portolou, D., Rizonň, J., Schmid, H., Skorpilová, J., Szabó, Z. D., Szép, T.,  Teufelbauer, N., Trautmann, S., van Turnhout, C., Vermouzek, Z., Voȓišek, P. & Weiserbs, A. (2019) Contrasting population trends of Common Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) across Europe. Ornis Fennica 96, 153-168. Link
  • Crowe, O., Musgrove, A. J. & O’Halloran, J. (2014) Generating population estimates for common and widespread breeding birds in Ireland. Bird Study 61(1), 1-9. Link
  • Crowe, O., Coombes, R, H., Lysaght, L., O’Brien, C., Choudhury, K. R., Walsh, A. J., Wilson, J. H., & O’Halloran, J. (2010) Population trends of widespread breeding birds in the Republic of Ireland 1998-2008. Bird Study 57, 267 -280. Link

National Research

  • Gilbert, G., Stanbury, A. & Lewis, L.J. (2021) Birds of conservation concern in Ireland 4 2020 – 2026. Irish Birds 43, 1-22.
  • Colhoun, K. & Cummins, S. (2013) Birds of conservation concern in Ireland 2014-2019.  Irish Birds 9, 523-544.

CBS Publications

See here for annual reports, newsletters, papers, forms and other publications relating to the Countryside Bird Survey.

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