Bird recording

Recording areas

In July 2008, British Birds published a definitive list of the Bird Recording Areas of Great Britain, which aimed to be acceptable to all national and local authorities and which could be generally recognised.

The following updates have been made since the paper was published in 2008.

East Glamorgan and Gower
Following discussions between the Welsh Ornithological Society and the local societies concerned, it is now recommended that Glamorgan should be treated as two Recording Areas at both national and local level: as East Glamorgan (UAs of Bridgend, Rhondda/Cynon/Taff, Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil and the west part of Caerphilly) and Gower (UAs of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot). This updates the paper by Ballance & Smith (Brit. Birds 101: 364–375) to reflect local practice, which at present is strongly in favour of separating the two areas.

County recorders

The following list (which can be downloaded as an Excel sheet here) provides the key point of contact for that area. In the majority of cases, the Recorder will be the appropriate person to deal with all aspects of bird records from that area, including rarities and rare breeding birds, but if not they will be able to redirect your query. In a few cases, a separate contact is shown as being the main contact for rarities.

County/recording areaNameEmail
Alderney, Channel IslesJonHortonabo.warden@outlook.com Recorder
AngleseySteveCulleySteCul10@aol.comRecorder
Angus & DundeeJonCook1301midget@tiscali.co.ukRecorder
ArgyllJimDicksonArgyllbirder@outlook.comRecorder (rarities)
ArgyllMalcolmChattwoodabcrecorder@outlook.comAssistant Recorder
AvonRupertHigginsavonbirdrecorder@outlook.comRecorder
AyrshireFraserSimpsonrecorder@ayrshire-birding.org.ukRecorder
BedfordshirePeterNashrecorder@bedsbirdclub.org.uk Recorder
BerkshireMarekWalfordrecords@berksoc.org.ukRecorder
BordersMartinMoncrieffbordersrecorder@gmail.comJoint Recorder
BordersDavidParkinsonbordersrecorder@gmail.comJoint Recorder
BreconshireAndrewKingandy@breconbirds.walesRecorder
BuckinghamshireMikeWallenrecorder@bucksbirdclub.co.ukRecorder
CaernarfonshireRhionPritchardrhion678pritchard@btinternet.comRecorder
CaithnessRobHughesxema_sabini@hotmail.co.uk Recorder
CambridgeshireJonathanHeathRecorder@cambridgebirdclub.org.ukRecorder
CarmarthenshireGaryHarpergary.harper3@gmail.comRecorder
CeredigionRussellJonesrussellbronygan@outlook.comRecorder
Cheshire & WirralJaneTurnercountyrec@cawos.orgRecorder
ClevelandAlanCrossleyalancrossley11@outlook.comRecorder
ClydeJohnSimpsonclyderecorder@the-soc.org.uk Recorder 
ClydeValWilsonval.wilson38@btinternet.comAssistant Recorder (rarities)
Clyde IslandsBernardZonfrillob.zonfrillo@bio.gla.ac.ukRecorder
Co. DurhamTimMiddletont_middleton24@hotmail.co.ukRecorder
Co. DurhamChrisBellbellchris76@gmail.comAssistant Recorder (rarities)
CornwallBobBosistorecorder@cbwps.org.ukRecorder
CumbriaChrisHindchris.m.hind@gmail.comRecorder
DenbighshireGlennMorrisglennmanc@hotmail.comRecorder
DerbyshireRoyFrostfrostra66@btinternet.comJoint Recorder
DerbyshireSydGartontonygarton13@sky.comJoint Recorder (annual report)
DerbyshireMarkBeeversmarkbeev@aol.comRecorder (rarities)
Devon-Position vacantrecorder@devonbirds.orgRecorder
DorsetGeoffUptondorsetbirdclub@hotmail.comRecorder
DorsetIanStanleyrecorder@dorsetbirds.co.ukRecorder (rarities)
DorsetShaunRobsonshaun.narwhal@btinternet.comRecorder (rare breeding birds)
Dumfries & GallowayGavin & AlynChambersdgrecorder@gmail.comRecorder
East GlamorganPhilBristowphlbrstw@gmail.comRecorder
East YorkshireJacobSpinksspinksy72@gmail.comRecorder
EssexMickTraceymicktrac@aol.comRecorder
Fair IsleRobFrayrobfray@btinternet.comActing Recorder
FifeGrahamSparshottgsparshott@myyahoo.com Recorder
FlintshireGlennMorrisglennmanc@hotmail.comRecorder
GloucestershireRichardBaatsenRichard.Baatsen@gmail.comRecorder
Greater LondonRogerPaynerogerwpayne@gmail.comRecorder & Editor
Greater ManchesterIanMckercharianmckerchar1@gmail.comRecorder
Guernsey, Channel IslesMarkLawlormplawlor@cwgsy.netRecorder
GwentDarrylSpittlecountyrecorder@gwentbirds.org.ukRecorder
HampshireMartinPittmjpitt35clere@hotmail.comRecorder
HerefordshireMickColquhounmickcolquhoun@gmail.comRecorder
HertfordshireAlanGardinerbirdrecorder@hnhs.orgRecorder
HighlandJohn Poynerhighlandrecorder@yahoo.comRecorder
Isle of ManDavidKellybirdman@manx.netRecorder
Isle of MayIainEnglishI.english@talk21.comRecorder
Isle of WightRobinAttrillrobinpattrill@gmail.comRecorder
Isles of ScillyJohnHeadonrecorder@scilly-birding.co.ukRecorder
Jersey, Channel IslesTonyPaintincavokjersey@hotmail.comRecorder
KentBarryWrightumbrellabirds66@gmail.comRecorder
Lancashire & North MerseysideSteveWhitestevewhite102@btinternet.comRecorder & Editor
Leicestershire & RutlandCarlBaggottcdbaggott@gmail.comRecorder
LincolnshirePhilHydephilhyde55@gmail.comRecorder
LothianStephenWelchlothianrecorder@the-soc.org.ukRecorder
MeirionnyddJimDustowmeinirowen@live.co.ukRecorder
MontgomeryshireSimonBowesmontbird@gmail.comRecorder
Moray & NairnMartinCookmartin.cook99@btinternet.comRecorder
NorfolkNeilLawtonnorfolkbirdrecs@gmail.comRecorder
North YorkshireKeithWimbushkwim473@gmail.comRecorder
NorthamptonshireJonCookjoncooknorthantsbirds@gmail.comRecorder 
North-east ScotlandIanBroadbentnescotlandrecorder@the-soc.org.ukRecorder
Northern IrelandGeorgeGordonnimbus10111947@gmail.comRecorder
NorthumberlandTimDeant.r.dean@btinternet.comRecorder
NottinghamshireKeithRainfordBullfinch194@gmail.comRecorder
OrkneySteveDudleyorkneybirdrecorder@gmail.comRecorder
Outer HebridesYvonneBentingrecorder@outerhebridesbirds.org.ukRecorder
OxfordshireIanLewingtonlewbirder@btinternet.comRecorder
PembrokeshireJonGreenjonrg@tiscali.co.ukJoint Recorder (Rarities)
PembrokeshireStephenBerrystephen.berry16@btinternet.comJoint Recorder
Perth & KinrossGeorgeDunbarpkrecorder@the-soc.org.ukRecorder
RadnorshirePeteJenningsradnorshirebirds@hotmail.comRecorder
ShetlandMikePenningtonrecorder@shetlandbirdclub.co.ukRecorder
ShropshireJohnMartinsoscountyrecorder@gmail.comRecorder
SomersetBrianGibbsbriandgibbs23@gmail.comRecorder
South YorkshireMartinWellsmartinwells@barnsleybsg.plus.comRecorder
StaffordshireNickPomiankowskistaffs-recorder@westmidlandbirdclub.org.uk   Recorder
Sufffolk (Southeast)ScottMasonbird-se@sns.org.ukRecorder
Sufffolk (Southeast)GiGrecobird-se@sns.org.ukRecorder
Suffolk - RaritiesDavidWalshdavidfwalsh@hotmail.comRecorder (rarities)
Suffolk (Northeast)RichardWaldenbird-ne@sns.org.ukRecorder
Suffolk (West)ChrisGregorybird-w@sns.org.ukRecorder
SurreyKevin Duncanrecorder@surreybirdclub.org.ukRecorder
SussexDavidThornsdavidthorns100@gmail.comRecorder
Upper ForthChrisPendleburychris@upperforthbirds.co.ukRecorder
WarwickshireChrisHillwarks-recorder@westmidlandbirdclub.org.ukRecorder
West Glamorgan & GowerEdHunteredhunterhere@yahoo.comRecorder
West MidlandsPeterForbeswest-mids-recorder@westmidlandbirdclub.org.ukRecorder
West Yorkshire-Position vacant-Recorder
WiltshirePaulCastlerecorderwiltsbirds@gmail.comRecorder
WorcestershireCraigReedworcs-recorder@westmidlandbirdclub.org.ukRecorder
YorkshireChrisRobinsonYNURCdescriptions@outlook.comRecorder (rarities)

Updated: October 2024

If you find contact details that don't work, or can see an update we've missed, please e-mail editor@britishbirds.co.uk