Helping farmland wildlife: the special partnership making a difference

Sadly, over the last 50 years, many of our farmland birds have suffered serious declines. This loss of once familiar species, such as Yellowhammers and Tree Sparrows, has inspired many nature lovers and farmers to take action. Now, thanks to a new partnership project, there’s real momentum to reverse these declines by working together. 

The Volunteer Monitoring of Farm Wildlife project connects RSPB volunteers with farmers to conduct bird surveys on their land. Once complete, the farmer receives a bespoke report which provides guidance tailored towards managing their land for wildlife. 

It’s a fantastic way for volunteers to make a practical difference and spend time in nature. And of course, it helps farmers to take more action for nature, broadening the reach of nature-friendly farming practices.  

Since the 1970s, we’ve seen huge declines in the abundance of many farmland birds. For example, the ‘jangling keys’ song of the red-listed Corn Bunting was once common across arable and mixed farmland. However, between the mid-1970s and year 2000, the species suffered local extinctions across much of the UK and Ireland. 

This decline is largely due to loss of habitat and changes in farming practices. However, many brilliant farmers have since worked with conservationists to manage their land for the species. As a result, Corn Bunting numbers have grown by 38% in certain areas.  

Nature-friendly farming is vital if we’re to protect and restore our threatened farmland bird populations. Importantly, the approach can also help to make farming livelihoods more resilient in an increasingly unreliable climate. This makes the volunteer farmland bird surveys an invaluable tool for both farmers and conservationists.  

Martin Lines, farmer and CEO of the Nature Friendly Farming Network describes the impact of working with volunteers on the project: “I had my farm surveyed by the RSPB, and what began as a passing interest in conservation became a way of life. Just being aware of the birds breeding on my family farm was a real light-bulb moment.” 

Once assigned to a farm, volunteers walk a set route around the site during the breeding season and record every bird they see or hear. Two survey visits are made before the findings are delivered to the farmer in a tailored report. This includes factors like the highest counts of each species and comparisons with similar farms.

The farmer is then provided with nature-friendly advice that can benefit their farm and the species on it. For example, they could be advised to leave winter stubble for Linnets or maintain rough grassland for Barn Owls. If the farmer is happy to adopt the recommended changes, a volunteer visits the farm every three years to help monitor the impact on bird populations. 

In 2025, our volunteer-powered surveys informed the management of around 25,000 hectares of farmland. This area included over 20 counties across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In 2026, the project is being expanded into Scotland too.

To spark a UK-wide nature-friendly farming transformation, we need more farmers to take action to restore nature on their farms. Identifying the species on a farmer’s land is the first step in this journey. It delivers clear benefits for UK wildlife and farmers, is incredibly rewarding for those involved and a fantastic way to spend time in nature. 

We need your help to take that first step, and you don’t need to be an expert. We hope to inspire and engage people with little or no experience and from all walks of life. To help with this, we have a mentoring system which pairs less experienced volunteers with experienced bird surveyors, so you can get involved straight away and learn on the job!  

This approach has already proven to be a hit. As one volunteer explained: “Thoroughly enjoyable and brilliant to be with an experienced bird identifier. I really enjoyed the surveys and would definitely encourage others to get involved!” 

We’d love you to join us! To find out more about becoming a volunteer, use the link below or contact us at: farmsurveys@rspb.org.uk.   

Become a surveyor.

If you’re a farmer and would like to register your interest in the Volunteer Monitoring of Farm Wildlife project, visit our stand at Groundswell Festival 2026 or contact us at: farmsurveys@rspb.org.uk.