Andrew Stevenson (SRMS Chair)

1. The Scottish Raptor Monitoring
Scheme – Greatest Achievements
Andrew Stevenson SRMG Chair and NatureScot

2. Formation
Builds on experience, expertise and energy of
individuals and organisations
Provides a systematic and overarching means
of reporting on raptors in Scotland
Scottish Raptor Monitoring Group formed to
oversee the SRMS and its work programme

3. Objectives
Co-operation
Facilitate collaboration between parties
Survey and monitoring
Provide robust information on Scottish raptor
populations (determine trends in numbers,
range, survival and productivity, and
understand the causes of population changes)
Data and information standards
Maintain high and uniform standards for the
collection, collation, auditing and analysis of
data, and reporting of information

4. Data and Management
• BTO employ and manage Scottish Raptor Monitoring Coordinator
• Supply IS and Research Ecologist support for data curation and analysis
• Host and manage SRMS database
Number of annual records submitted has grown significantly
(c3,500 in early years and now regularly over 6,000)
Monitoring of reintroduced red kite and white-tailed
eagle now via SRMS
First east Scotland white-tail chick 2013(©RSPB)

5. Monitoring Guide
Hardey, J., Crick, H., Wernham, C., Riley, H., Etheridge,
B. & Thompson, D. (2013). Raptors: a field guide to
survey and monitoring (3rd Edition). The Stationery
Office, Edinburgh.
Raptors: a field guide for surveys and
monitoring; first published 2006,
reprinted, and second edition published in
2009, and again 2013
Has become THE guide for raptor
monitoring
Out of print but available from the SRMS
website. https://raptormonitoring.org/

6. Annual Reporting & Newsletter
Challis, A., Wilson, M.W., Eaton, M.A., Stevenson, A., Stirling-
Aird, P., Thornton, M. & Wilkinson, N.I. (2022). Scottish Raptor
Monitoring Scheme Report 2020. BTO Scotland, Stirling.
SRMS reporting focuses on the current year of
data submitted (occupancy and breeding
success information)
Report has developed in recent years to
include updates on other key aspects of the
SRMS
Scottish Raptor newsletter 2-3 per year covers
some wider raptor topics in addition to SRMS
work
All back issues available from
https://raptormonitoring.org/

7. Data Policy
Critical to making SRMS work as the
partnership is working with sensitive data
it doesn’t own
Raft of data legislation to comply with
(FOI, EIR, GDPR, IPR)
Partnership comprises statutory and non-
statutory bodies who have different legal
requirements
Have to ensure all partners comfortable
with way forward
Data sharing with NWCU
Policy is online at
https://raptormonitoring.org/

8. Online submission and portal access to
partners
Without agreement for BTO to manage the
SRMS database and the data policy we
could not have developed to the next stage
Data submission was by spreadsheet but
aim to move to recently launched online
system
Data portal for partners now allows access
to the ‘live’ database for routine uses
identified in the data policy
Online at https://raptormonitoring.org/

9. Trends
SNH Commissioned Report 542
(2015) Raptors in Scotland –
Developing trends and indicators.
Evaluated methods and gaps and
provided provisional trends using
SRMS data
Progress has been made since
and new trends have just been
published
Online at https://raptormonitoring.org/

10. Raptor Patch
Entry level recording scheme Raptor
Patch piloted for 4 widespread
species (Kestrel, Sparrowhawk,
Raven and Buzzard)
Two key aims of improving coverage
of these species and also encourage
new volunteers from a wider
audience into raptor monitoring ).
BZ, SH, K & RN).
Online at https://raptormonitoring.org/

11. The SRMS is collaborating; monitoring;
reporting; maintaining data standards;
improving access to data and informing
Thank you to all the partners for both financial and in-kind support; to all
the SRMG representatives past and present and especially to Amy Challis as the
current SRMC and her predecessor Brian Etheridge for their unstinting work to
make it all happen