Now is the ideal time to sign up to take part in the BTO Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) for this breeding season and to arrange to come along to an informal practice session with other volunteers. Some squares have recently become available and there are plenty of squares available right across the county.
This national monitoring scheme is administered by the BTO and jointly funded by the BTO, JNCC and RSPB. It has been running since 1994 and its primary aim is to provide population trends for common and widespread bird species in the UK. Population trends for Sussex are also produced and published in the Sussex Bird Report.
Survey plots are randomly-selected 1-km squares of the National Grid, and the same squares are surveyed each year. Volunteers visit their squares three times each year during the breeding season, once to record simple habitat data, and twice to walk a fixed route, recording birds seen and heard. There are more than 200 BBS squares across Sussex, covering every type of habitat, and new volunteers are always needed.
Volunteers must be able to recognise common and widespread birds, but previous experience of survey work is not necessary. Help and support from experienced volunteers can be arranged if required, and some informal group practice sessions are planned for late March and early April 2026, to which new volunteers will be invited.
The full list of BBS squares (asterisks indicate priority squares that have been surveyed before) in Sussex which currently need volunteers for the 2026 breeding season (updated 13/5/2026) is as follows:
SU8102 near Bosham Hoe*
SU9729 near Northchapel*
SZ7996 East Wittering*
SZ8199 near Birdham
TQ0124 near Kirdford*
TQ0322 near Codmore Hill*
TQ0324 near Wisborough Green
TQ0826 Billingshurst
TQ0918 West Chiltington*
TQ1031 near Slinfold*
TQ1038 near Ewhurst (Surrey)*
TQ1323 Dragon’s Green*
TQ1531 Broadbridge Heath*
TQ1636 Kingsfold*
TQ2536 Gossops Green
TQ2638 Langley Green*
TQ2734 Tilgate Park*
TQ3922 near North Chailey*
TQ4612 near Ringmer*
TQ4922 near Buxted
TQ4938 near Blackham*
TQ5026 High Hurstwood
TQ5128 near Crowborough*
TQ5130 central Crowborough*
TQ5228 near Crowborough*
TQ5435 near Eridge Station*
TQ5639 Tunbridge Wells*
TQ6000 Eastbourne Upperton*
TQ6414 Bodle Street*
TQ6419 Earl’s Down*
TQ6817 near Penhurst
TQ7811 Hollington*
TQ8413 near Three Oaks*
TQ8414 near Three Oaks*
TQ8613 Guestling Green*
For further information, please contact Helen Crabtree at hcrabtree@gmail.com.