In response to the national Bird Flu crisis during 2021 and 2022 and the dramatic impact it was having on sea bird populations across the country we wanted to asses the status of Poole Harbour’s breeding gull populations to see if the disease was impacting population sizes. The survey covered breeding totals of all the breeding gull species here in the harbour. Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Great Black-backed Gull.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The survey covered breeding totals during the spring and early summer period of 2023 with all data accurate at the time of surveying. However, at the end of the survey a bird flu outbreak was experienced on Brownsea, which would have impacted productivity of nesting gulls in the harbour. As this survey wasn’t assessing breeding productivity, the bird flu outbreak on Brownsea hasn’t effected or altered the data collected during this survey. It is possible though that the outbreak could impact breeding totals next year and beyond, suggesting a repeat survey may be needed in the near future.

Breeding Gulls of Poole Harbour – Spring and Summer 2023 by Nick Hopper

These reports present data from the 2022 & 2023 breeding seabird counts between Old Harry Rocks and White Nothe. Counts have been carried out on the Purbeck coast since the mid-1960s and data are presented in the context of trends over the last 50 years (up to 2015). The 2021 survey represents the first full survey of the coast since 2018, although full counts were achieved for auks in 2019 (as they only nest east of St. Aldhelm’s Head). Two counts were carried out in 2021, one between Old Harry Rocks and White Nothe, the second between Old Harry and St Aldhelm’s

Purbeck Seabirds Survey – 2022

Purbeck Seabirds Survey – 2023

Hen Harrier are a regular winter visitor and passage migrant in Poole Harbour and the Isle of Purbeck, providing excitement and joy whenever seen quartering over a harbour saltmarsh. The below report highlights the comings and goings of the areas Hen Harrier during the 2021/22 winter period as well as comparing that data to the last 13 years.

Wintering Hen Harriers in the Isle of Purbeck Report 2021-2022

This report presents data from the 2021 breeding seabird counts between Old Harry Rocks and White Nothe. Counts have been carried out on the Purbeck coast since the mid-1960s and data are presented in the context of trends over the last 50 years (up to 2015). The 2021 survey represents the first full survey of the coast since 2018, although full counts were achieved for auks in 2019 (as they only nest east of St. Aldhelm’s Head). Two counts were carried out in 2021, one between Old Harry Rocks and White Nothe, the second between Old Harry and St Aldhelm’s

Purbeck Seabirds Survey 2021

Much is known about Poole Harbours over-wintering wader species, their numbers and their current status. However data on current breeding populations from across the harbour is limited and not that up to date. During the spring and summer of 2021 Nick Hopper was commissioned to carry out a full breeding wader survey focusing on breeding populations of Redshank, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Curlew and Little Ringed Plover.

Breeding waders of Poole Harbour 2021
by Nick Hopper – PDF

Poole Harbour is an important over-wintering site for a whole range of different wetland bird species. This comprises of numerous wader, wildfowl and long-legged water birds like Grey Heron and Spoonbill, as well multiple gull species too. To assess the ever shifting population trends of these birds, Wetland Bird Surveys (WeBS counts) have been carried out in Poole Harbour since 1975. These surveys assess all wetland species during the course of the winter which in turn provides data on which birds are present in nationally and internationally important numbers, which are increasing and which are decreasing as well as comparing local trends with national trends. It’s the results of these surveys that also determine whether a site is afforded special protection or needs to be designated.

Poole Harbour is a Special Protection Area (SPA), with its bird life forming several features of that SPA. These include the regular over-wintering numbers of  Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit, Avocet, Shelduck, Spoonbill and Little Egret as well as breeding Mediterranean Gull, Sandwich and Common Terns in the summer. The combined total of all over-wintering wetland birds (winter bird assemblage) also form part of the Poole Harbour SPA.

The data from these surveys is incredibly helpful to see where species thrive in the harbour, how well a species is doing or not over a period of time and when peak arrival, population and departure times are. The BTO’s WeBS reporting website provides an excellent overview of all Poole Harbour data, as well as other sites across the UK, but knowing where specific species priorities for feeding is not highlighted within their webpages, nor can all data be viewed in one place so visually.

With thanks to some incredible volunteers and our BoPH team, we’re now able to publish a full Overwintering Birds of Poole Harbour – An Analysis of Poole Harbour WeBS Data 1975 – 2021 report which breaks down, consolidates and interprets data from the last 45 years of Poole Harbour WeBS counts.

The purpose of this publication is to bring together an analysis of that data for 43 of the main winter species, the trends in numbers over the long-term, how they compare with national numbers, their seasonality, and where the birds are distributed around the harbour during the winter months. It is a ‘fact-based’ analysis of the importance of Poole Harbour for wintering birds, which we hope will stimulate public interest and further research and discussions to protect and enhance this very special place.

With special thanks we’d like to extend our immense gratitude to several volunteers for this report. These include Patrick Redshaw for the data analysis and presentation of all 45 years worth of WeBS data in this publication. To Jol Mitchell and Patrick Redshaw for the data collection and organising of all historic and present day WeBS data. Rod Brummitt who for 10 years has received, collated, entered and submitted all WeBS count data to the BTO and of course, to our valiant team of 33 WeBS counters who head out each month, come rain or shine, to count Poole Harbours amazing winter bird life. A big thank you must go out to all previous WeBS counters and organisers who started gathering WeBS data in the early days and especially Brian Pickess and John Day from the Poole Harbour Study Group who’s early work and analysis on Poole Harbour WeBS helped form part of this report. Without any of these people, this document simply wouldn’t be possible.

Equally as important, we’d also like to thank all landowners who grant us access permission so that WeBS counters can access difficult to reach areas, meaning count accuracy is much higher. Without their support, the data would certainly suffer and degrade.

We hope you enjoy reading this new report

Overwintering Birds of Poole Harbour – An Analysis of Poole Harbour WeBS Data 1975 – 2021

Understanding how other parts of the harbour’s ecosystem functions is vital and offers a valuable insight into how bird populations may fare in the short and long-term. The ‘Moths of Poole Harbour’ (MoPH) project was set up in 2017 to gain knowledge of moth species occurring in Poole Harbour, Dorset, their distribution, abundance and to some extent, their habitat requirements. Browse the extensive reports from the project below.

Moths on Arne Moors 2018 – 2020 | PDF

The RSPB Arne complex is known to be extremely rich for moths with regular recording going back to the 1970’s. However comparatively little trapping work has been undertaken on Arne moors and so the Moths of Poole Harbour (MoPH) project has undertaken weekly trapping throughout 2018 and 2019 and in June to August in 2020. One of the drivers for this work is the saltmarsh managed realignment project proposed for the site.

Moths on Ballard 2018 – 2020 | PDF

The site comprises grassland and scrub surrounded by arable farmland with a network of interconnecting hedgerows. It is unusual to find such a large area of scrub in Dorset and it has been supplemented by tree planting over the years.

Box–tree Moth Cydalima perspectalis Survey 2019 – 2020 | PDF

In the 2019 Dorset Moths report it was stated that Box-tree moths were reported 27 times, mainly from the east of the county with evidence the species is now resident. In addition, a PhD student from Royal Holloway, University of London, was studying the 3 colour morph variations and sex ratio of the species. To this end details on morphs and sex was recorded and the results are summarised here.

Moths on Brownsea Island 1962-2017 | PDF

Brownsea Island, the largest of the five main Islands in Poole Harbour, owned by the National Trust, comprises a variety of habitats which give rise to a large and interesting moth fauna. The strategic location of the site also means the Island attracts a lot of migrants as well as species associated with the rich habitats nearby in Poole Harbour. The moth fauna of Brownsea is strikingly rich, a feature shared with some other orders, notably Beetles and Plant-bugs. Over 900 species of Macro and Micro-moths have been identified and this reflects the wide variety of vegetation on the island.

Moths on Carey Estate 2019 – 2020 | PDF

The privately-owned Carey Estate west of Wareham along the Piddle valley is a wonderfully diverse area of some 150 acres. Habitats include riparian meadows, acid grassland, woodlands with old and specimen exotic trees, ditches and ponds. Past land use is much in evidence, the woodlands having a high component of Rhododendron and Cherry laurel and the many mature exotic conifers hinting at a 19th century model farm. There is a substantial walled garden under the process of significant restoration and a large main garden. Both of these are high in nectar sources.

Moths on Corfe River Meadow 2020 | PDF

The unimproved meadows alongside the Corfe River are owned and managed by the National Trust. The MoPH project visited twice in July 2020, plans for earlier trapping at the site were curtailed by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Moths on Goathorn 2017-2019 | PDF

Goathorn sits within the Rempstone Estate which has a high level of security. The site shows a rich assemblage of mainly heathland species, though there is clear evidence that moths are typically drawn from a number of nearby habitats including woodland, gardens and the Harbour edge. Significantly, as with most sites, retaining as much variety of micro-habitat as possible will be key to invertebrate conservation management.

Moths in Hamworthy 2019-2020 | PDF

The trapping site in Hamworthy is a private house dating from the 1950’s with a large and well established garden. The garden is strategically placed to attract species from a wider area and backs onto others including a small orchard. It is within 400 metres of both the harbour shoreline and Hamworthy Park. It is also situated around half a mile from the eastern edge of Ham Common. It is apparent that this strategic location makes it an ideal site for sampling the conurbation moth population.

Moths on Holton Lee 2017 – 2020 | PDF

The ‘Livability Centre’ at Holton Lee comprises a range of habitats located on the southern side of Lytchett Bay. Open dry heath grades down to the extensively reed-fringed harbour edge through a belt of mixed secondary woodland containing a number of mature deciduous trees. An area of carr woodland is present. The ‘Flourish Garden’ contains a good source of nectaring plants.

Leaf-mines 2020 | PDF

A number of micro-moths spend the larval stage inside the top and bottom surfaces of a single leaf, eating their way
through the ‘flesh’ in a recognisable fashion. The patterns created in the leaf are often diagnostic.

Lesser Butterfly Orchids and Moths on Hartland Moor 2018-2019 | PDF

As part of the ‘Back from the Brink’ project for Lesser Butterfly Orchid Platanthera bifolia, Moths of Poole Harbour (MoPH) was asked to run moth traps around the known remaining Dorset colony on Hartland Moor to try to determine which species of moth may be involved in pollinating the orchids.

Clearwing Moth Pheromone Study 2020 | PDF

The MoPH project was primarily aimed at nocturnal species using light traps running overnight in locations around Poole Harbour. It is possible to attract some day-flying species of moth using pheromone lures and the MoPH project used this method for a limited time during the project. A set of pheromone attractant lures, aimed primarily at Clearwing moths was used in June and July 2020 to look for species across the Poole Harbour recording area.

Moths on Slepe Heath 2017 – 2020 | PDF

Slepe Heath is a large expanse of lowland heathland contiguous with Hartland Moor and forming an integral part of the Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve established in 2020. This site is the known stronghold for the seriously declined Speckled Footman, which became a target species for the project. One of the target species for the Plantlife led ‘Back from the Brink’ Project is the Purbeck Mason Wasp whose larvae feed on the micro-moth Acleris hyemana larvae. MoPH targeted the adult moth in early spring 2018 and 2019 in two of the known sites for Purbeck Mason Wasp on Slepe Heath.

Southern Chestnut Agrochola heamatidea in Poole Harbour 2017-2019 | PDF

The Southern Chestnut was discovered in the UK, in West Sussex in 1990. It was known from a single site until 1996 when it was found in the north-west of the New Forest and since then has become known from the East Dorset Heaths especially around Hurn. The species is classified as Red Data Book 2. There is general consideration that the species may in fact be a long-overlooked resident rather than a recent addition to the fauna of Britain.

Moths in Poole Harbour 2017 – 2020 | PDF

This report presents an overall summary of the Moths of Poole Harbour (MoPH) project. In addition, a number of the sites have their own more specifically detailed reports and there are excel spreadsheets with full numbers available for each site.

Moths of Poole Harbour Species List | PDF

Back in late 2016 we commissioned Nick Hopper to carry out a full census of heron species, including Spoonbill from within our Poole Harbour recording area. The survey looked into the feeding, breeding and roosting habits, as well as the history of Eurasian Spoonbill, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Eurasian Bittern, Great White Egret and Cattle Egret within Poole Harbour. To gather good data on each of these species, a huge amounts of fieldwork had to be undertaken. However, here we are 29 months later with a rich and comprehensive overview of the status of each of the species mentioned above which we hope will be enjoyed by you the public and as a reference source for years to come.

The Ciconiiformes of Poole Harbour: Herons and their allies (Nick Hopper) | PDF

Several year ago we commissioned then local student (now Osprey Project manager) Brittany Maxted to analyse and look at migrating Osprey distribution around Poole Harbour during the autumn of 2015. Brittany did such a great job that she went on to help us set up and run the first year of our Poole Harbour Osprey translocation project and then went on to get a 2:1 in Biological sciences at Oxford University, so as you can imagine was quite busy! However, we’re happy to now be able to publish the final report which actually contributed towards helping us secure the licences to carry out our Osprey translocation here in Poole Harbour.

Distribution, timing and activities of migrant Osprey Pandion haliaetus in Poole Harbour during autumn 2015 (Maxted) | PDF

In 2016, Birds of Poole Harbour commissioned Nick Hopper to carry out a full census of breeding gulls within our Poole Harbour boundary. The survey was carried out during the spring and summer of 2016 and the findings as well as the results took us a bit by surprise. No doubt, many of you would have read about the illegal egg harvesting of Black-headed Gull and Mediterranean Gull eggs that was uncovered through carrying out this survey, and finally, before you read the report why not have a guess at how many Herring Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull breed within the Poole Harbour area…..you may be surprised!

Breeding gulls of Poole Harbour (Nick Hopper, 2016) | PDF

The Avocet Hide at Middlebere is one of the best places to watch birds in Poole Harbour, especially in the winter when birds of prey and wading species frequent the upper end of the channel on a rising tide. The ‘public diary’ in the hide provides a great account of what can be seen at Middlebere right the way through the year, however without visiting the hide, you won’t get to read the full accounts of the publics sightings. However, local Middlebere regular Simon Kidner has kindly written up a full account of all sightings from the ‘public diary’ ranging from August 2014 to June 2016. This report will provide you with a good understanding of the the best times to visit Middlebere and what you can expect to see.

Many thanks to Simon for providing us with this report and he has even provided a breakdown at the end of the report of dates of some of the hides most welcomed visitors.

Avocet Hide – Middlebere Sightings August 2014 to June 2016 (Simon Kidner) | PDF

This report presents the results of a survey undertaken during the winter of 2002/03 to record the location of roosting waders and waterfowl in Poole Harbour. The changes that have occurred since Collins (1985, 1986) are given, together with the current threats to each site.

Wader and Waterfowl Roost Survey 2002-03 (Steve Morrison) | PDF

During the 1990’s Poole Harbour and Studland Bay were listed either separately or together as being of national importance for wintering Slavonian Grebe and Black-necked Grebe. Due to lack of coordinated counts over a period of time, repeated counts were made from the Studland Shorline especially for this report to redress the lack of monitoring. This PDF was donated to Birds of Poole Harbour by The Poole Harbour Study Group to be used as a reference document on our surveys page

Numbers and Distribution of Black-necked Grebe at Studland (The Poole Harbour Study Group) | PDF

The purpose of this report is to update the findings in Pickess & Day (2002) Important Birds of Poole Harbour report, focusing on the same thirty two species whose status they had assessed up to 1998 in Poole Harbour. This PDF was donated to The Birds of Poole Harbour charity by The Poole Harbour Study Group to be used as a reference document on our surveys page

Important Birds Of Poole Harbour And Their Status 1998/99 to 2004/05 (Pickess & Day) | PDF

Poole Harbour and its environs, has long been recognised nationally as being of high biological importance. In 1964 the harbour was designated under The National Parks and countryside Act 1949, section 23, as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Within the harbour area, the variety of different habitats contributes significantly to its biodiversity and to its support of nationally and internationally important bird populations. This PDF was donated to The Birds of Poole Harbour charity by The Poole Harbour Study Group to be used as a reference document on our surveys page

Important Birds of Poole Harbour 2002 (Pickess & Day) | PDF

English Nature commissioned this report with the objective of establishing a baseline against which future verification of favourable conditions of the interest features within the Poole Harbour SPA may be established. This PDF was donated to Birds of Poole Harbour by The Poole Harbour Study Group to be used as a reference document on our surveys page.

Bird Invertebrate Prey Availability In Poole Harbour (Poole Harbour Study Group, 2004) | PDF

The British breeding population of Redshank is internationally important. After surveys were carried out in 1997 and 2004 to assess the number of pairs breeding on saltmarsh within Poole Harbour, the RSPB decided to carry a repeat survey in 2014 to see how the population had changed.

Poole Harbour Breeding Redshank Survey 2014 Report (RSPB) | PDF

Each winter many thousands of Starling enter the UK from mainland Europe often forming large evening murmurations in rural, urban and semi-urban areas. Roost sizes can vary greatly year on year, and in this report Nick Hopper focuses on the winter roost behaviour during the 2014/15 winter period within Poole Harbour.

Starling winter roosts of Poole Harbour report (Nick Hopper) | PDF

From September 2007 to March 2008, Nick Hopper was commissioned to carry out a study on the roosting, feeding and breeding habits of all Corvid species within the Poole Harbour area. During the 2014/15 winter period Nick re-surveyed Magpie roosts as part of our Birds of Poole Harbour winter roost study. He has combined both studies into one full report, which you can now read here.

Corvid roosts of Poole Harbour report (Nick Hopper) | PDF

Pied Wagtails of Poole Harbour – A winter roost survey 2014/15 – Nick Hopper

Every winter in Poole Harbour, winter-roosts of many different bird species are formed in a selection of habitats. Some, like the Grebe roosts are well studied and documented, but others are still a total unknown. During the winter period of 2014/15 Nick Hopper was commissioned to carry out a survey into the winter roosting habits of Pied Wagtail, Starling and Magpie. In the first part of his three part survey you can read about the behaviour and location choices that Pied Wagtails adopt pre and post roost during the cold winter months.

Pied Wagtails of Poole Harbour – a winter roost survey (2014/15) (Nick Hopper) | PDF

In Autumn 2013, Birds of Poole Harbour commissioned environmental surveyor Nick Hopper to monitor the number of over wintering Woodcock within the Poole Harbour area. Due to their shy nature and nocturnal feeding habits, gaging a true over-wintering population of Woodcock has always been difficult. Nick spent the long cold, wet winter nights of 2013/14 gathering data from around the harbour and in his completed report discovered there were quite a few more than first thought!

Population and distribution of wintering woodcock Poole Harbour (Nick Hopper) | PDF

In early 2014 a report was commissioned to identify the trends of three of Dorset’s most important heathland species. The report was commissioned by Birds of Poole Harbour and carried out by Footprint Ecology who have kindly supplied us with the final report to put on our website.

This report summarises data on nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus, woodlark Lullula arborea and Dartford warbler Sylvia undata across the Dorset Heaths. These species are key features of the designated heathland sites and are ones for which the UK has an international responsibility. In this report we pool data from multiple sites and years to plot the overall trends for each species over the period 1991-2013. The results have implications for the long term monitoring of the birds on the Dorset Heaths and have implications for local conservation effort, planning policy and heathland management

Trends in Nightjar, Woodlark and Dartford Warbler on Dorset Heaths from 1991 – 2013 (Footprint Ecology) | PDF

In 2013, Poole Harbour hosted its first successful pair of breeding Marsh Harrier in 50 years, with three young birds fledging the nest in August 2013. The nest was situated on private land at Swineham and was monitored on an almost daily basis by local Harrier expert and addict, Peter Hadrill from a distant viewpoint, providing a detailed picture into this historic event.

Peter has kindly allowed Birds of Poole Harbour to publish his day by day, month by month account which explains how these birds overcame unwelcomed visitors and an exceptionally cold spring.

Poole Harbour Marsh Harriers (Peter Hadrill) | PDF

Footprint Ecology was commissioned by Natural England to investigate whether there were any impacts of bait harvesting on bird behaviour in Poole Harbour. Aerial images of the harbour bays were captured by a drone plane and from these the extent and intensity of mud scarring was mapped and quantified. Time lapse cameras considered the distribution of birds in experimental plots (those dug for bait and a control) and direct observations and count of birds were undertaken to consider any effect on bird behaviours. Survey effort and recording was largely focussed on two parts of the Harbour: Arne Bay and Holes Bay.

The final report is freely available to download on the Footprint ecology website | Footprint Ecology » Reports & Publications

Water Rail are a difficult species to see to due to their shy, timid nature not to mention their select choice of habitat, thick, dense reedbed. Back in 2003 it was thought that the whole UK population of Water Rail was somewhere between 400-900 pairs, but due to the numbers that could be heard ‘squealing’ and ‘sharming’ from Poole Harbour reed beds in the spring a survey was conducted to get an accurate picture of exactly how many pairs utilised this one area alone. The results were very interesting.

Ten years later a replica survey was conducted to see if there had been any shifts or changes in their numbers or distribution across the harbour.

Poole Harbour Water Rail Survey (Chown, 2004) | PDF

Poole Harbour Water Rail Survey (Hopper, 2013) | PDF

In 2007 Mark Constantine commissioned a Waders and Waterfowl survey for Poole Harbour to run from January 2007 to February 2008. Part of the remit was to also record gull numbers and activities. At the end of the survey a dedicated gull survey was also commissioned for the whole of March 2008 to supplement findings, discover catchment areas used outside the harbour and assess numbers of birds using the harbour.

For the first time you can now read the full and final report by Nick Hopper – co-author of The Sound Approach’s ‘Catching the Bug‘

Gulls of Poole Harbour (2007/08) (Nick Hopper) | PDF

In 2007/08 whilst co-writing the new Sound Approach title ‘Catching the Bug‘, local surveyor and birder Nick Hopper was asked to do a repeat survey of D.R Collins 1984 survey that looked into Poole Harbour’s wader and waterfowl populations and distribution for BP (ltd) Development. The findings were used and published in the final edit of ‘Catching the Bug’, but for the first time ever you can now read Nick Hoppers full report that was finished in 2008.

Waders and Waterfowl of Poole Harbour 2007/08 (Nick Hopper) | PDF

In early 2015 it was discussed and agreed that Birds of Poole Harbour would commission a full breeding gull census of the entire harbour. An important part of this census would included the established gull colonies on the islands off Holton Lee, set in the Wareham Channel. As described in this report, due to a natural set of circumstances, and perhaps some not so natural, the data collected from the islands wouldn’t be a true representation of the potential populations, so the census of the entire harbour was stopped.

This report looks at and discusses the Mediterranean and Black-headed Gull colonies on ‘Gull Islands’ in the Wareham Channel and the reasons behind the final totals.

Wareham Channel gull census 2015 (Chown) | PDF

Poole Harbour saw a good number of Hen Harrier records during the 2014/15 winter period. Read local harrier expert, Peter Hadrill’s fascinating account of all arrivals, departures and long staying individuals that occurred during his hours of surveying in the bitter cold.

Hen Harrier report 2014/15 (Peter Hadrill) | PDF

Lytchett Bay Annual Reports 1997 – 2022

Lytchett Bay is in the north west of the harbour and is only a fraction smaller than it’s neighbour Holes Bay. The bay has a nice selection of habitats surrounding it, ranging from a small section of Dorset heathland, dense reed bed and grazed wetland. The site has consistently been monitored and surveyed since 1992 by local birder Shaun Robson, who has built up a hugely detailed and accurate portrait of the areas birds and their habits.

1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023

Holes Bay Annual Reports 2020 – 2022

Welcome to the annual Holes Bay Nature Reports. Inspired by the excellent and long established Lytchett Bay report, our aim is to promote Holes Bay and the surrounding area as a haven for nature, to record and share wildlife sightings, and to encourage more records. The recording area covers Holes Bay itself, the Creekmoor and PC World Drain, Upton Country Park and the surrounding farm fields. Records of birds overflying the recording area are also welcome.

Sightings can be shared via our Holes Bay Nature Twitter account, or e-mailed to Nick Woods.

Holes Bay Nature Team: Martin Adams, Jackie & Nick Hull, Steve Smith and Nick Woods

2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023.

Wareham Common Annual Report

2020 | Wareham Common Full Bird List