PECBMS is…

Grey Wagtail’s index is stable across Europe. The species has an extensive range across diverse climatic conditions (Zalewska et al. 2025) and is expected to be less affected by climate change due to lower physiological constraints and greater tolerance for a broader range of climates.

Cyprus Warbler and Cyprus Wheatear are the only two species for which an index is calculated, and, at the same time, they are not included in European indicators because they are endemic to Cyprus. While the wheatear is stable, the warbler is moderately declining.

Black-headed Bunting has been declining since the 1970s. The population trend, however, contrasts with the expansion of the breeding range in Europe (EBBA2). To better understand the changes, high-quality data from Southeastern Europe is needed, supported, for example, by the EBCC Small Grant Fund.

The abundance of the Cattle Egret increases in Europe. Since the species first appeared in the warmest parts of Europe, its trend has increased, and its home range has shifted northward, as shown by change maps comparing the distributions in the European Breeding Bird Atlases 1 and 2.

The Great Tit population shows a steady, moderate increase, likely benefiting from the availability of nest boxes and bird feeding. Citizen science projects like Winter Bird Count show it as one of the most frequent species observed at European feeders.
Photo by Květa Skopalová

The Common Raven population increased in most of Europe. The main reason for its recovery is the end of persecution in many countries and reintroduction programmes. The species also profits from anthropogenic food sources in some regions.
Photo by Pavel Štěpánek

The Goldcrest shows population fluctuations due to high breeding potential and sensitivity to cold winters, but overall, it is declining. Climate change and range contraction northward likely contribute, reflecting its preference for spruce forests and cooler climates.
Photo by Pavel Štěpánek

In contrast to Goldcrest, Firecrest populations are rising, and their range is expanding northward. Unlike Goldcrest, Firecrests thrive in mixed or deciduous forests, adapting well even when only a few conifers are present.
Photo by Pavel Štěpánek

The Turtle Dove is a protected EU species facing severe decline. Adaptive Harvest Management began in 2021, with a hunting ban in the western flyway sparking population recovery. However, limited hunting restrictions in the Central-Eastern flyway led to continuing declines.
Photo by Pavel Štěpánek

The Common Starling is a numerous and widespread European farmland breeding bird. Starlings are predominantly grassland invertebrate feeders, often breeding in association with human habitation. The population is declining in Europe, however with a contrasting increase in Central-Eastern Europe compared to a decline in the rest of the European regions. The major declines in farmland Starling breeding abundance have been linked to the general intensification of European agriculture as the species is dependent on grazed grassland and meadow areas.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow populations showed a moderate decline in the 1980s and 1990s mainly due to agriculture intensification. So did also its more common relative House Sparrow. However, more recently both species have been stable.

The wild bird indicator also includes wetland species, such as Common Snipe which has been moderately declining. However, the species has an extremely large range and its population size is also large so the species is evaluated as Least Concern under the IUCN criteria.

The population of Sardinian Warbler is stable. This is one of the most generalist Mediterranean warblers, present in many types of warm habitats. The species' ecological flexibility could explain their population dynamics in changing Mediterranean landscapes. It benefits from land abandonment, recolonizes burnt areas just a few years after the fire, and has adapted to urbanized environments much better than other warblers.