Bird Assessments

Bird assessments are required for the production of ecology chapters within Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and for Natura Impact Statements (NIS), especially for developments sited within Special Protection Areas (SPA). Specialist bird assessments are frequently required for construction and post construction monitoring.

Glas Ecology undertakes specialist field surveys, provide expert advice and produce high quality reports.  We have worked on a diversity of projects that have required specialist bird assessments including 400 kV overhead powerline, wind farm, pipeline, housing and road schemes.

Services Provided 


• General bird field surveys using recognised techniques such as line transect, point counts and Countryside Bird Survey (CBS) transect methodology.

• Specialist bird studies, including ∗ Vantage Point (VP) surveys e.g. breeding/wintering Hen Harrier, wintering wildfowl (Whooper Swan, Greenland White-fronted Geese, Golden Plover), ∗ Off-shore seabird surveys, following recognised international methodologies,
∗ Breeding Red Grouse, using approved, licensed tape lure tech- niques, ∗ Estuary counts, for wintering waders and wildfowl, e.g Brent Geese
∗ Breeding birds of prey, e.g. Peregrine Falcon, Merlin.

• Supervision of the installation of mitigation measures during construction, (e.g. provision of nest boxes, Sand Martin/Kingfisher banks) with follow up post-construction monitoring.

• Production of reports, for inclusion in Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIA), Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), Natura Impact Statements (NIS) and stand alone reports.

• Production of specific management plans including advice on appropriate land management measures.

• Consultation with statutory and non-statutory bodies including local authorities and NPWS.

• Expert witness at Oral Hearings