Sources and extent of human disturbance to waterbirds in the UK: an analysis of Wetland Bird Survey data, 1995/96 to 1998/99

Capsule Less than 32% of counters record disturbance at their site, with differences in causes between coastal and inland sites.

Aim Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) data were reviewed to investigate the sources and scale of potential disturbance to waterbirds in the UK.

Methods Between 1995/96 and 1998/99, WeBS volunteer counters recorded human activity and perceived waterbird disturbance during co-ordinated counts at wetland sites across the UK.

Results Over 68% of counters recorded no disturbance at their site and only a small proportion of these (< 2%) indicated very high levels. The frequency of disturbance peaked during the late summer. Just over 26% of disturbance events were attributed to human activities. The most perceived human-related disturbance was caused by people using motor-driven machines and shooters. Coastal waterbirds were more likely to be disturbed by walkers, shooters and large aircraft whereas those inland were more likely to be disturbed by motor-driven machines and unpowered boats.

Conclusions Volunteer-based surveys can be useful in monitoring the sources and distribution of potentially disturbing activities over large spatial scales.