Last summer, more than 1,200 volunteer birdwatchers across the UK, headed out in search of three incredibly special birds. The trio of species inhabit very specific habitats, and scientists were keen to discover how these birds are faring and whether the places where they live are in good enough shape to support sustainable populations.

The birds in question were Nightjar, Woodlark and Dartford Warbler, and they were the primary targets of the Heathland Bird Survey, which was delivered by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the RSPB, and funded by Natural England and Defra. The last national survey of these species took place almost 20 years ago, and researchers aimed to identify any changes in the birds’ fortunes in the intervening period.

Nightjar: A secretive nocturnal bird, known for its eerie ‘churring’ song, most often heard at dusk. These cryptically camouflaged summer migrants arrive in the UK in spring having spent the winter in and around the Congo Basin. Nightjars experienced significant population declines in the UK during the 1970s and 1980s.