Graham Austin

Senior Research Ecologist

Graham works on the design and analysis of results of national surveys of wild birds. He is responsible for the development of Wetland Bird Survey Database, Wetland Bird Survey Alerts system and Waterbird Indicators. He also researches into factors driving population trends in waterbirds.

Graham is also responsible for the development of BTO's GIS capabilities (including staff training).

BSc (Honours 1st Zoology), University of Aberdeen, 1984-1988. PhD Zoology, Glasgow University "The distribution and breeding performance of the Buzzard in relation to habitat: the application of remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems", 1988-1991.

Interests & Responsibilities

Research into the effects of climate change on wintering waterbird distributions. Development of predictive models for assessing the effects of habitat change on waterbird populations.

Other Information

Qualified ringer with an endorsement to train other ringers.

Recent BTO Publications

Burke, B., Lewis, L. J., Fitzgerald, N., Frost, T., Austin, G. & Tierney, T. D. 2019. Estimates of waterbird numbers wintering in Ireland, 2011/12–2015/16. Irish Birds 41 : 1-12 13pp

Frost, T.M., Austin,G.E., Hearn, R.D., McAvoy, S.G., Robinson, A.E., Stroud, D.A., Woodward, I.D. & Wotton, S.R. 2019. Population estimates of wintering waterbirds in Great Britain. British Birds 112 : 130-145 Link to publication 16pp

Tucker, A.M., McGowan, C.P., Robinson, R.A., Clark, J.A., Lyons, J.E., DeRose-Wilson, A., Du Feu, R., Austin, G.E., Atkinson, P.W. & Clark, N.A. 2019. Effects of individual misidentification on estimates of survival in long-term mark–resight studies. The Condor 121 (part 1) Link to publication View at journal website (DOI: 10.1093/condor/duy017) 13pp

Conway G.J., Austin G.E., Handschuh M., Drewitt A.L. & Burton N.H.K. 2019. Breeding populations of Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius and Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula in the United Kingdom in 2007. Bird Study View at journal website (DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2018.1563045) 10pp

Woodward, I.D., Calbrade, N.A. & Austin, G.E. 2018. Analysis of Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) Data for The Humber Estuary SSSI, SAC, SPA and Ramsar site: Third appraisal - sector-level trends to winter 2016/17. Research Report no. 709. ISBN: 978-1-912642-09-0 268pp

Graham Austin, Teresa Frost, Heidi Mellan, Dawn Balmer 2017. Results of the third Non-Estuarine Waterbird Survey, including Population Estimates for Key Waterbird Species. Research Report no. 697. British Trust for Ornithology, Thetford, Norfolk ISBN: 9781908581860 69pp

View all BTO publications for this author

Content Related to Graham Austin

Publication

Waders wane while geese gain

A major new study led by BTO, working with the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) partners, JNCC, RSPB and in association with WWT, provides detailed information on the importance of Great Britain for waterbirds each winter.

Ringed Plover, photograph by Jill Pakenham

Publication

A tale of two plovers

BTO research sheds light on the differing fortunes of two small UK-breeding waders.

WeBS counting. Photograph by Teresa Frost

Project

Make your wetland birding count with WeBS

WeBS surveyors monitor the UK's internationally important non-breeding waterbirds. Following a tradition begun in 1947, wetland sites are counted once per month, providing data for population and trends in abundance and...