James Pearce-Higgins

Director, Science

James Pearce-Higgins

Contact

James is a member of the Senior Leadership Team at BTO. He is responsible for providing strategic leadership of the organisation’s science.

Interests & Responsibilities

James provides strategic oversight of BTO science, which encompasses both monitoring and research. BTO organises volunteer-based and professional surveys to assess changes in the abundance, distribution and demography of bird populations, and of selected non-avian taxa.

BTO also leads on the analysis of these data, conducting research to understand the causes of population change, and the processes that underpin observed ecological patterns, and to inform what is required to manage species and habitats sustainably.

In addition, James specifically leads BTO’s climate change research. This involves documenting the impacts of climate change on UK biodiversity, undertaking projections of the likely future impact of climate change on species’ distributions and abundance, and informing the development of climate change adaptation.

In recent years, James has led five multi-organisational climate change research consortia funded by Defra, Natural England and CCI, as well as many BTO projects. In 2014 CUP published Birds and Climate Change: Impacts and Conservation Responses, which he co-authored with Rhys Green. James has also written contributing papers for both MCCIP and LWEC climate change report cards.

From 2010-2014 James led the Population Ecology and Modelling team and was responsible for the BBS research programme, which not only informed potential improvements and additions to the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), but developed new modelling techniques to understand the drivers of population change, and to improve predictions of future abundance. James now chairs the Breeding Bird Survey Steering Group.

Prior to working at BTO, James worked in Scotland for RSPB for 11 years, leading a wide range of upland research projects.

Other Information

Qualifications

Jul 1994: BSc Honours Zoology (University of Nottingham)

Feb 2000: PhD Environmental Biology ‘The ecology of Golden Plovers Pluvialis apricaria in the Peak District.’ (University of Manchester)

Recent BTO Publications

Heywood, J.J.N., Massimino, D., Baker, L., Balmer, D.E., Brighton, C.H., Gillings, S., Kelly, L., Noble, D.G., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., White, D.M., Woodcock, P., Workman, E. & Wotton, S. 2025. The Breeding Bird Survey 2024.
Macgregor, C.J., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Siriwardena, G.M., Wilson, M.W. & Robinson, R.A. 2025. Assessment of recent Hen Harrier population trends in England through population modelling. Research Report no. 778. BTO Research Report 778 British Trust for Ornithology, Thetford, UK ISBN: 978-1-912642-75-5 30pp
Johnston, D.T., Humphreys, E.M., Davies, J.G., Evans, T., Howells, R.J. & Pearce-Higgins, J.W. 2025. Current understanding of how climate change affects seabirds varies between regions and species in the North-East Atlantic. Marine Ecology Progress Series 755 : 163-177 View at journal website (DOI: 10.3354/meps14785 )
Border, J.A., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Hewson, C., Howard, C., Stephens, P.A., Willis, S.G., Fuller, R.A., Hanson, J.O., Sierdsema, H., Foppen, R.B.P., Brotons, L., Gargallo, G. & Baillie, S.R. 2025. Evaluating protected area coverage for migratory bird species across space and time. Nature Communications 16 View at journal website (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57019-x)
Cook, A.S.C.P., Masden, E.A., Humphreys, E.M. & Pearce-Higgins, J.W. 2025. Cumulative barriers to renewable energy development: can we adjust our perspective and approach to benefit biodiversity?. Ecological Solutions and Evidence 6 View at journal website (DOI: 10.1002/2688-8319.70010)
Macphie, K.H., Samplonius, J.M., Hadfield, J.D., Pearce-Higgins, J.W. & Phillimore, A.B. 2024. Tree taxon effects on the phenology of caterpillar abundance and biomass. Oikos View at journal website (DOI: 10.1111/oik.10972)
View all BTO publications for this author

Other Publications

Evans, R.J., Pearce-Higgins, J., Whitfield, P.D., Grant, J.R., Maclennan, A. & Reid, R. 2010. Comparative nest habitat characteristics of sympatric White-tailed Haliaeetus albicilla and Gold Eagles Aquila chrysaetos in western Scotland. Bird Study 57: 473:482. 

Pearce-Higgins, J.W. 2010. Using diet to assess the sensitivity of northern and upland birds to climate change. Climate Research 45: 119-130.

Content Related to James Pearce-Higgins