Welcome to the BTO

Looking out for birds? Share your interest in birds with others by being part of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Volunteer surveyors, members and staff work in partnership to provide unbiased information about birds and their habitats. Join or volunteer today and make birds count.

Online Ringing and nest recording

The latest ringing and Nest Recording figures are out and show that during 2016 over one million birds were ringed. While Blue Tit was the most ringed species, Goldfinch made number two with 55,754 individuals ringed. Seventeen new longevity records were set, 46,272 nest records were received, and Tree Sparrow was in the top five species for nest record monitoring. Take a look at the report online here.

Glimmer of hope for Curlew

The UK holds almost a third of the global breeding population of Curlew. Declines here have been greatest in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and in Ireland the breeding range has contracted by a massive 78%. By analysing data, collected by thousands of volunteer birdwatchers as part of the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), BTO has, for the first time, documented how a range of different pressures may be responsible for this national decline.

Greater Spotted Eagle. Photograph by Alexander Pekach (APB-Birdlife Belarus)

Movetech takes next steps in tracking

New technology continues to give us a better understanding of the movements and behaviours of a wide range of species, helping us inform science and conservation. BTO has now produced our own GPS tracking devices, which use the mobile phone network, as part of the Movetech Telemetry partnership. These are now available to the wider research community. Find out more about some of the exciting new stories we are discovering.

Breeding Bird Survey Report 2016

The latest BBS Report is a bit of a roller coaster ride. In the UK as a whole some of our woodland birds are having a bit of a rough ride; Willow Tit down by 80% and Wood Warbler by 57%, whilst others are reaching dizzying heights; Nuthatch up by 90% and Chiffchaff by 109%. Read more in the full 2016 BBS report.

Other recent news

Four Cuckoos cross the desert

Migfest 2017 tickets

Migfest 2017 almost here