All Wales Rook Survey
Welsh Ornithological Society
For the first time in WOS’ history, the Society organised and ran an all-Wales species survey during the springs of 2022 and 2023. Rook (Corvus frugilegus) was the chosen species and the aim was to establish distribution maps and a robust breeding population estimate in Wales for this familiar, but declining, member of the crow family.
What has been achieved and what are the results?
Thanks to the work of all our volunteer observers, sufficient squares were covered to enable a robust population estimate to be calculated. Checking and verifying the data was a long and laborious process, but with data analysis complete, outcomes from the survey were presented at the 2024 WOS Annual Conference and have been published in Milvus 3.1 (2024).
Invaluable support and future species surveys
The Rook survey has been a major undertaking and we are very grateful to many organisations that have helped in either funding part of the work, or in other ways. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) for funded the start-up costs and is funding the data analysis. which has been contracted to the BTO. The BTO also created a tetrad booking app. and Cofnod managed the data entry whilst RSPB Cymru/Conservation Science provided additional advice. Many thanks also to Pembrokeshire National Park which produced individual tetrad maps, that volunteers could access. We’re delighted that most of the Welsh BTO Regional Representatives volunteered to be Local Organisers, supported by the County Recorders, who have provided us with invaluable local information.
We have learnt a great deal about the challenges conducting all-Wales species surveys through this project and we will be looking to apply these (and to seek similar support) for our next national species survey, which will probably be conducted in 2026.
Anne Brenchley, WOS Chair and Rook Survey Coordinator
