Welcome to 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.

National Nest Box Week 2019

February 14 sees the start of the 22^nd National Nest Box Week. To encourage people to put up a nest box the BTO has produced a new 'essential guide' full of useful information on what to look for when buying, siting and looking after a nest box. The free 24-page guide is available from gbw [at] bto.org or can be downloaded here.

Take part in the Tawny Owl Calling Survey

The Tawny Owl Calling Survey is still running, and it's not too late to take part. It's really easy to contribute to the survey and we want as many people as possible to get involved. We think our Tawny Owl population is in decline - but we need better data.

Take part in the
Tawny Owl Calling Survey

Arctic Skua tagging, Fair Isle 2017. Photograph by Dave Batchelor

BTO Spring Raffle 2019

Help support our work by taking part in this year's spring raffle. Included in the prizes is a professionally-guided birdwatching break for two in southern Portugal and five chances to win a garden bird food hamper. See here for more information and to take part.

Year in Review - 2018

What a year 2018 was! From the ‘Beast from the East’ to the summer heatwave, Britain’s birds had to contend with extreme weather, and our hard-working volunteers were on hand to tell us just how they fared. It was another successful year for BTO science, and we also took part in many successful events, both in the flesh and virtually, over social media. 2018 was very much the Year of the Owl, with excellent coverage and uptake of our Tawny Owl Calling Survey. Here’s to reaching further ornithological heights in 2019!

Other recent news

Three tagged Cuckoos head north

State of birds in Wales 2018

Scottish Terrestrial Breeding Bird Indicator