ABSTRACT In 1997, the Avian Population Estimates Panel (APEP) published its first collation of British and UK bird population estimates (Stone et al. 1997). This paper provides the first review of those estimates, drawing on information available prior to 2002 for most species. Several major surveys have reported estimates in the intervening period, including for breeding seabirds, wintering gulls, and wintering waterbirds. A new method of deriving estimates for many common species has been adopted, which relies on adjusting former estimates according to published trends. In recognition of the value of a single source of definitive population estimates, the estimates presented in this paper will be the primary reference for statutory conservation purposes until publication of the next review.