The Big Butterfly Count is a nationwide survey run by Butterfly Conservation and led by Sir David Attenborough to help assess the health of our environment. It is the biggest annual butterfly survey in the world and provides invaluable research data. Last year over 46,000 people took part, counting 830,000 individual butterflies and day-flying moths across the UK and this year we want to help make it even bigger!
To join in the Big Butterfly Count simply follow the links for full instructions and claim your FREE identification chart and FREE big butterfly count smartphone app available for iOS and Android, allowing you to identify and submit your sightings directly.
During the Big Butterfly Count Ark Wildlife are offering a FREE pouch of Butterfly Food with any product purchased with 'Butterfly' in the name. No need for special codes or requests. We'll simply add it in with your order with any qualifying product, containing the word 'Butterfly' in the name, when we despatch your order.
Butterflies react very quickly to changes in their environment, making them an excellent biodiversity indicator species. This is why counting butterflies can give us a ‘feel’ for the bigger picture and the state of our wildlife health overall.
The count also gives specific feedback on the trends for individual species populations and these can be recorded over time to help research positive action plans to prevent any further species being at risk of extinction.
The count only takes 15 minutes and can take place anywhere from your garden to hilltops and forests. You can enter as many counts as you like, as long as you use different sites for each count.
In 2013 the results of the count showed the whites topping the table, knocking the browns off No.1 from 2012. Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell, 3rd and 6th respectively, both achieved their highest placing since the count began.
Here is a quick summary of the top ten results from 2013.
 |
Species
|
Total Count
|
% Change
from 2012
|
1
|
Small White
|
154438
|
312
|
2
|
Large White
|
136944
|
335
|
3
|
Peacock
|
130796
|
3537
|
4
|
Meadow Brown
|
88547
|
-33
|
5
|
Gatekeeper
|
76935
|
15
|
6
|
Small Tortoiseshell
|
49418
|
388
|
7
|
Green-veined White
|
38988
|
214
|
8
|
Ringlet
|
31206
|
-52
|
9
|
Six-spot Burnet
|
18681
|
-23
|
10
|
Comma
|
17230
|
101
|
See the rest of the results here.
Butterfly Houses & Feeders for Gardens
You can help the Charity Butterfly Conservation in many ways:
Become a member
Help with our other surveys
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