Wader Zonal Map

Published by:
Forestry Commission
Last updated:
31 July 2025
Topic:
Environment
Licence:
Open Government Licence

Summary

The Wader Zonal Map – a.k.a. Wader Sensitivity Map (WSM) and Breeding Wader Sensitivity Map – was produced by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) in partnership with the Forestry Commission and the Cairngorm National Park Authority. This layer shows the predicted relative abundance of ten species of breeding wader for each 1km square of England, Scotland and Wales. Predicted relative abundances are categorised into five strata identified by numbers under the two-letter code in the attribute table. The two-letter codes are: [cu] – Curlew [l] – Lapwing [rk] – Redshank [sn] – Snipe [oc] – Oystercatcher [gp] – Golden Plover [dn] – Dunlin [cs] – Common Sandpiper [rp] – Ringed Plover [gk] – Greenshank. Predictions were derived using statistical models (random forest regression tree) with bird data taken from the BTO/SOC/BWI Bird Atlas (which covered the period 2008 – 11) and a range of environmental data sets, including climate (temperature and precipitation), topography (elevation and slope), habitat, wind farms and roads and predation risk. While overall the predictive models performed well as assessed by correlation with empirical data, it must be emphasised that these are predictions which will not be accurate in all cases. Full details of the models, sources of data and fuller discussion of the predictive capabilities and limitations of the models are found in the associated report, O’Connell et al. 2021. This report (https://www.bto.org/our-science/publications/research-reports/sensitivity-mapping-breeding-waders-britain-towards) should be referred to when using this data. Additional attribute fields: [ONEKMREF] = the OS monad reference. [Cntry] = the GB country into which the 1km grid square falls – where a grid square is cross-border this is coded as such. Coding: 1 – England, 2- Scotland, 3 – Wales, 4 – England and Scotland, 5 – England and Wales. Attribution statement: Contains OS data © Crown copyright [and database right] [year].

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