Bird Recording

The HOS CoBRA2 database system collates data from a number of sources and makes it available for the Hampshire Bird Report, as well as to other agencies.

The easiest way to submit sightings of birds in Hampshire is via one of these sites:

Here is the full list of sources used by CoBRA2 in 2024, ordered by the number of records received (from most to least).  It’s important to avoid duplicating records, so please don’t record birds in more than one of these systems.

eBird; BTO Garden Bird Watch; HOS Recorder (includes HRFs and other sources); Going Birding; BTO Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS); BTO Breeding Bird Survey (BBS); Trektellen; iNaturalist; Living Record; Needs Ore Log; New Forest Winter Bird Survey; iRecord; Alice Holt Forest Breeding Survey; Forest Research; Thames Basin & Wealden Heaths Breeding Bird Survey; New Forest Woodlark Survey;  Lower Avon Valley Records; BTO Common Birds Census; Lymington and Keyhaven Reserve Breeding Survey; RSPB; New Forest Raptor Roost Survey; Blashford Lakes Breeding Survey; BTO Census of Heronries; RSPB Reserves Breeding Birds Langstone Harbour; Hawk Conservancy Trust.

Records for 2025

Please aim to have all of your 2025 records submitted by the end of January 2026.

Guidelines for the submission of records are here and can be downloaded in doc document or pdf format.

Documentation for unusual records will still be required. Please see the guidelines for further details.

  • Unusual Records Form

Records can also be submitted via HOS Record Forms – spreadsheets tailored for the purpose.  The HOS Record Form, which works on various spreadsheet programs, can be downloaded here:

Please note that this form is just for 2025 data: a new version will be created for 2026, with a possibly updated species list and other changes.

There is a column for “breeding evidence” which some people miss by mistake – please do fill this in and note the change to the BTO coding which is explained in an accompanying work sheet to the Record Form. If you encounter any problems with the form, then please contact the HOS data manager at hosdatamanager@gmail.com.

Online submission methods, however, are now the preferred method of recording (see above).

Please refer to the Notes for Contributors (PDF) for more information.

A lot of you just put your most interesting sightings on Going Birding so please do still send other things that are of value.

But please avoid posts of normal numbers of commonly occurring garden birds. If you are unsure of what you’ve posted already then the Going Birding system cleverly allows you to review all of your records. From the home page just click on “Export” and log in. The rest is easy.

If you have submitted sightings via Going Birding, BTO reporting sites (including BirdTrack and WeBS), Living Record or eBird then we are going to get these automatically so there is no need to send them in again via another method.

However, if you have put any records on Bird Guides and nowhere else then please send these in again via one of the above methods, as we no longer use Bird Guides as a source.

If anything above is unclear then please contact Martin Pitt, the Hampshire County Recorder on mjpitt35clere@hotmail.com.