Lesser Spotted Woodpecker sample survey in England 2007
Citation
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2025). Lesser Spotted Woodpecker sample survey in England 2007. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/qt0tsv accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-06-19.Description
A total of 70 woods were surveyed for occupancy by Lesser spotted woodpecker in 2007. Woods were also surveyed for habitat, Great spotted Woodpecker occupancy and Grey Squirrel density. Data were analysed together with data from previous studies in the 1980s to investigate factors affecting Lesser spotted Woodpecker occupancy. This dataset contains presence/absence records for all surveyed woods along with breeding status. Records are given at 100m resolution which represents the centroid of the transect route through the wood. Work was funded by RSPB and Natural England
Purpose
To survey lesser spotted woodpecker distribution in three distinct regions, and to investigate factors affecting this distribution
Sampling Description
Quality Control
These data have been gathered by trained field-workers and the data are of a high qualityThese data have been mapped and checked for sensitivities and typographical/geographical errors
Method steps
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See paper for detailed methods
Woods were visited during daylight hours between 1st March and 20th April, avoiding days with heavy rain and strong wind. Woods were surveyed by selecting a transect route which covered as of the wood as possible. Survey duration was scaled to the size of the block of wood as follows:
less than 30 ha 3 hours, 30-50ha 4 hours, 50-70ha 5 hours and 70+ha 6 hours
Once a bird had been observed in a wood (by sight ,calling or drumming), the site was classified as 'occupied'. Woods were re-surveyed until a bird was located or until the survey period ended, whichever was sooner.
Taxonomic Coverages
Geographic Coverages
Broad-leaved woods in the New Forest, Yorkshire and Worcestershire
Bibliographic Citations
Contacts
originatorRoyal Society for the Protection of Birds
metadata author
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
distributor
NBN Atlas
27 Old Gloucester St, Holborn
London
WC1N 3AX
London
GB
email: admin@nbnatlas.org
Conservation Data Management Unit
administrative point of contact
email: dataunit@rspb.org.uk