Winter Bird Surveys

Professional wintering bird surveys for development and land-management projects

Veon provides winter bird surveys and ornithological consultancy services across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. We help developers, engineers, architects, planners, construction companies, renewable-energy businesses, landowners, estates, government bodies and councils understand how wintering birds use a site and how proposed works could affect them.

Our survey programmes are tailored to the project, habitat, likely bird interest and planning requirements. The objective is to collect reliable, proportionate evidence to inform design, ecological assessment and consenting.

Why winter bird surveys may be required

Ireland supports significant populations of migratory and non-breeding birds in autumn and winter. Wetlands, estuaries, lakes, rivers, coastal habitats, grassland and farmland can provide feeding, resting and roosting areas. Birds may also regularly move between protected wetlands and areas outside their boundaries.

A winter bird survey may be appropriate where a proposed project could cause habitat loss, disturbance, displacement, collision risk, a barrier to movement, lighting effects or hydrological change. Survey findings can help identify which parts of a site are used by birds, when activity is greatest, and the relationship between the project area and nearby Special Protection Areas or other important sites.

When are surveys carried out?

September to March is a useful broad planning period for winter non-breeding bird surveys. The exact timing and frequency are project specific. Some programmes require monthly or more frequent visits. Others may require surveys at specific tide states, dawn or dusk roost counts, targeted goose or swan work, or vantage-point surveys that record flight paths and heights.

Some projects may require more than one season of data. Veon will review the development, location, habitats and existing information before recommending a scope.

Early appointment is strongly advised. If the necessary survey period is missed, the evidence may not be recoverable until the following winter.

Our winter bird survey services

Veon’s services include:

• preliminary ecological review and survey scoping
• protected-site and conservation-objective review
• desk study and review of existing bird data
• winter bird walkover and distribution surveys
• wetland and waterbird counts
• coastal low-tide and high-tide surveys
• roost surveys
• goose and swan feeding-distribution surveys
• vantage-point and flight-activity surveys
• targeted surveys for species of conservation concern
• GIS mapping of observations and habitat use
• ecological impact assessment and mitigation advice
• Appropriate Assessment support in the Republic of Ireland
• Habitats Regulations Assessment support in Northern Ireland
• Input to Environmental Impact Assessment Reports and planning applications
• construction-stage ecological advice and monitoring

The final scope will depend on the project. Not every site requires every method.

Projects we support

Winter bird survey work may be relevant to:

• wind and solar energy developments
• overhead lines, substations and grid connections
• housing, commercial and industrial developments
• roads, bridges, rail and other infrastructure
• ports, harbours and coastal schemes
• flood-relief, drainage and water projects
• quarries and extractive development
• forestry and land-use change
• public-realm and recreational projects near sensitive habitats
• habitat restoration, management and monitoring programmes

Supporting planning and environmental assessment

In the Republic of Ireland, winter bird information may support Ecological Impact Assessment, an Environmental Impact Assessment Report, and Appropriate Assessment where relevant. Wild birds are protected under the Wildlife Act 1976, as amended, and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, as amended, which form part of the legal framework for birds and European sites.

In Northern Ireland, wild birds are protected under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, as amended. Projects with potential effects on an SPA, SAC, or Ramsar site may require a Habitats Regulations Assessment under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995, as amended.

The presence of birds does not automatically prevent development. Reliable survey evidence enables potential effects to be understood and addressed through project design, avoidance, mitigation, and, where appropriate, monitoring.

Our approach

1. Review and scope

We examine the site, project description, habitats, protected sites, available records, and potential impact pathways. We then recommend a proportionate survey programme.

2. Plan the fieldwork

We define survey areas, methods, observation points, seasonal coverage and visit timing. Access, health and safety, tides, weather and land management are taken into account.

3. Collect and map the data

Experienced surveyors record species, numbers, locations, behaviour and movement. Findings are quality-checked and mapped to make spatial patterns clear.

4. Interpret the findings

We assess the ecological significance of the observations and how the proposed project could affect birds or their habitats.

5. Support design and assessment

We work with the wider project team to identify avoidance, design changes, mitigation measures, and further assessment needs. Our findings can inform the relevant planning and environmental reports.

Why choose Veon?

Veon has operated for more than 36 years, delivering professional consultancy in Forestry, Ecology and Arboriculture. This multidisciplinary capability helps us understand projects within their wider land-use context and coordinate ecological advice with other environmental and design considerations.