This dataset contains habitat and bird diversity data collected in Thetford Forest. The data were derived from Breeding Bird Surveys, LiDAR structural information and management databases. Further details of the method and statistics are available in Tew et al “Recommendations to enhance breeding bird diversity in managed plantation forests determined using LiDAR” (Ecological Applications). Each row contains data for a management/age class group. Columns ‘Management type’, ‘Age class’ and ‘(Log) total area’ were derived from forest management databases. Columns ‘Horizontal heterogeneity, ‘Gap fraction’, ‘Top canopy height’, ‘Vertical heterogeneity’, ‘Shrub density’ and ‘Canopy density’ were derived from high-resolution remote sensing LiDAR data. ‘Horizontal heterogeneity’, ‘Gap fraction’ and ‘Top canopy height’ are summarised at four different resolutions: 0.5 m, 2 m, 5 m, 10 m. Bird diversity data were derived from bird surveys.