Butterfly monitoring scheme

At least 49 species of butterflies have been recorded in Jersey. Around 26 of these can be expected to be encountered every year. The 28 species which are seen nearly every year are thought to be historically resident which include regular migrants that breed here like the Clouded Yellow, Red Admiral and Painted Lady.

In 2004 the States of Jersey Environment Division launched the Jersey Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (JBMS). The scheme forms part of the division’s integrated monitoring programme for Jersey in order to carry out 'State of the Environment Monitoring’.

More information on Jersey's butterflies is in the State of Butterflies in Jersey report.

Volunteer records

The JBMS uses the same methodology used in the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. The scheme is financed by the States of Jersey but is almost entirely based on volunteer recorders, making it highly cost-effective. The JBMS has benefited greatly from close collaboration with Butterfly Conservation (BC).

Primary aims

The primary aims of the scheme are to:

provide information at local levels on changes in the abundance of butterfly species
detect trends which may indicate changes in their status
provide a reliable long-term reference against which population changes in species studied elsewhere on individual sites, or in other countries, can be monitored
monitor changes at individual sites
assess the impact of local factors such as habitat change caused by management
provide information on aspects of the population ecology and phenology of individual species, both in relation to the effect of environmental changes (including climate change) and as a contribution to butterfly ecology

Butterfly monitoring calendar 2020

Butterfly recording form

Butterfly habitat classification form

Butterfly volunteer working agreement

Further information

If you would like any further details about our scheme or would like to become a volunteer, contact us.