About the WeBS data request service

Data requests are just one way of accessing data from WeBS.

Your waterbird information requirements might be able to be met via our wealth of freely available published open data instead of a detailed data request; please check the WeBS data page for a list of datasets available through other routes, such as our interactive web portals. 

We recommend using our data request service to obtain detailed site data suitable for most commercial environmental impact assessments and similar projects.

Data Request Charges

The costs for WeBS data are charged to cover staff time taken in handling and processing of data requests, including a contribution to the running of the WeBS partnership scheme (i.e. underlying data collection, collation and management costs). 

• Requests for Core Count and Low Tide data will be handled and costed separately from each other. 

Upon submission of a data request form, a no-obligation quote will be sent out before any work is undertaken. Charges for a commercial data request start as follows: 

• £300+VAT for a single Core Count location
• £200+VAT for a single Low Tide Count location

Charges increase as indicated below for larger requests.
 

Requests for Core Count data

When you submit a standard WeBS data request for a Core Count site, it is our policy to provide the most recently available five-years’ worth of data in the form of a comprehensive synopsis report to facilitate interpreting the importance of the counts at the site, together with tables of the monthly counts summarised in the report.

Five-year averages are the standard for working with Core Count data and are useful for capturing inter-winter variation in numbers, as waterbird numbers at most sites vary with annual climatic conditions. Where there are gaps in site coverage, we will include the most recent years available with data up to a maximum of 15 years ago. Please be aware that we no longer offer raw monthly counts data only for standard site requests.

WeBS data are collected within count units called WeBS sectors. Larger waterbodies and complex sites are often split into multiple WeBS sectors. A WeBS data request location report is for a location that may be a single sector, multiple sectors that make up a WeBS site, or any other combination of multiple sectors. Therefore, if your area of interest covers several WeBS sectors, you can either request a single report that combines data from all the sectors, or separate location reports for each count sector if you require more detail.

Core Count data charges

Upon submission of a data request form, a no-obligation quote will be sent out before any work is undertaken. 

Charges for Core Count data are calculated per location report produced within a single request for one area of interest as follows:

• A single five-year site summary report is £300+VAT.  A “site” may be a complex WeBS site, a standalone WeBS site, a WeBS site count sector of a complex site or a combination of sectors/standalone sites, consolidated into one summary report.
• Additional five-year site summary reports within your area of interest are charged at £150+VAT each. A “site” is defined as above, e.g. reports for individual count sectors. 

Each report will be accompanied by a comma separate file/spreadsheet of the monthly counts at no extra charge. Note that if the report is a consolidation of multiple sectors, the spreadsheet will contain the totals across the sectors. (i.e. if individual sector data is needed, additional reports for each sector must be requested.)

• Contextual historic data (i.e. older than the most recent five-years) is available for a single flat rate surcharge of £100+VAT per location. 

These will be provided as a .csv file/spreadsheet of the monthly counts. If synopsis reports are required for historic data, please contact us for a bespoke quote at websdata@bto.org.

Example costing

If your area of interest is part of a gravel pit complex that is surveyed via six WeBS count sectors, you can choose to have:

• One summary report combining data for the six sectors and a csv table of summed data across the sectors for a total of £300 or
• separate reports for the six individual sectors at a cost of £1,050.
• If you require ten years’ of data, you will receive one five-year report and a csv table of the data for 10 years, for which the equivalent costs would be £400 for a consolidated summary or £1,650 for separate data for the sector.
   

Low Tide Count data

Low Tide Counts are undertaken on a periodic basis, which varies between estuaries but is typically one winter’s survey every six years.

Low Tide Count data charges

Charges are calculated per estuary as follows:

• A single count sector report for one winter’s survey is £200+VAT. The summary report includes whole estuary consolidated information, as well as the sector information.
• Additional count sectors within the same estuary can be added for £20+VAT per additional sector and will be included in the same report.
• Contextual historic data via reports for additional winters are charged at £100+VAT for a single sector and £20+VAT per additional sector, per winter.
• Reports for additional estuaries are charged separately with the same rates, i.e. starting at £200+VAT for a single sector on another estuary.

Example costing

If your area of interest intersects with two separate estuaries and you request data for 3 sectors on one and 5 on the other, the total charge will be £560+VAT. If you required two winter’s worth of survey reports, the total would be £920+VAT.
 

Time for Data Supply and Surcharges

Data will normally be provided within 15 working days of receiving a completed Data Request Form and a quote being agreed.

Guaranteed data provision earlier than this will incur extra charges as follows:

• Within 10 working days of authorisation to proceed: 50% increase in charges
• Within 5 working days of authorisation to proceed: 100% increase in charges 
   

Discounts and Waivers

All discounts and waivers are discretionary and should be confirmed by requesting a no-obligation quote.

• If fewer than three years’ worth of Core Count data is available within the 15-year window due to poor site coverage, we may apply up to a 50% discount to the charge for that report.
• If you have previously received data for the same site and project from us within the past two years and require an update, we may apply a 50% discount to the report charge.
• There is no charge for requesting data at a site you own, but we may choose to provide this via a login on the WeBS Online portal rather than via a data request report.
• WeBS partner organisations, public and non-profit organisations carrying out site-based habitat management related work, and unfunded academic research requests do not usually incur a charge unless the request is complex/large/time-consuming. You will be provided with a bespoke quotation at a discounted rate if there is a charge.
   

Providing analysis and/or interpretation

Analysis or interpretation additional to standard tabulations can be provided at standard BTO hourly rates. This includes within-site sector plot analysis reports. Please contact BTO for further details and costs.