Related Species

Press releases

Scotland’s seabird pirates in peril

September 2024

A new study led by the British Trust for Ornithology in Scotland (BTO Scotland) has unveiled the migration routes and wintering grounds of one of Scotland’s rarest and most endangered seabirds – the Arctic Skua...

Unusual plumage variation in birds not so black and white

August 2024

Familiar garden birds with unusual plumage features, such as a Blackbird or sparrow with striking white feathers, will often catch our eye, and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is asking for help in mapping these scarce occurrences...

If you go down to the woods tonight…

July 2024

One of the UK’s weirdest, and least understood, birds is facing increasing challenges as a result of wetter springs and ongoing insect declines...

Where have our gulls gone?

June 2024

Birdwatchers across the UK are being asked to get out and count gulls this autumn, as the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) continues to monitor populations of these characterful, if sometimes controversial, birds...

Satellite-tagged Cuckoos clocked crossing continents

June 2024

The instantly recognizable song of the Cuckoo was once a familiar summer sound across much of the UK...

Much-loved songbird threatened by mosquito-borne virus

June 2024

One of the UK’s favourite garden birds, the Blackbird, is in rapid decline, and members of the public are being asked to help scientists find out why...

Breeding Bird Survey celebrates 30 years of citizen science in Northern Ireland

May 2024

Published today, the latest BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) Report looks at the fortunes of our bird populations in Northern Ireland and across the UK, and celebrates the Pearl Anniversary of a pioneering volunteer-led national study...

Breeding Bird Survey celebrates 30 years of citizen science in Wales

May 2024

Published today, the latest BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) Report looks at the fortunes of our bird populations in Wales and across the UK, and celebrates the Pearl Anniversary of a pioneering volunteer-led national study...

Breeding Bird Survey celebrates 30 years of citizen science in Scotland

May 2024

Published today, the latest BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) Report shows continued declines for Scotland’s Swifts, Curlews and Kestrels...

Breeding Bird Survey celebrates 30 years of citizen science

May 2024

Published today, the latest BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) looks at the fortunes of our bird populations and celebrates the Pearl Anniversary of a pioneering volunteer-led national study...

Ducks take a dive as milder winters keep birds in an unfrozen north

April 2024

Fewer ducks, geese, swans and wader species are travelling to the UK as milder conditions continue to define northern European winters...

Bird and biodiversity benefits of better managed landscapes

April 2024

A new study led by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) examines the benefit of well-managed protected areas for declining bird populations...

BTO to launch bird droppings identification app

April 2024

British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has developed an app that will enable birdwatchers and scientists to delve deeper into species identification by analysing bird droppings...

Will turbines signal an ill wind for Welsh Red Kites?

March 2024

Research undertaken by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) predicts that the Red Kite population of Wales is likely to be resilient to the development of future wind farms...

Seabird tracking sheds new light on migration

March 2024

Revealing new research has shown how an endangered seabird is converging on specific stopping off points in the Atlantic Ocean during migration, helping scientists to better understand the bird’s conservation needs...

Shrike a light! BB/BTO Best Bird Book of the Year 2023 announced

March 2024

The British Trust for Ornithology and British Birds are delighted to announce the winner of the award for Best Bird Book of the Year 2023...

Youth In Nature Summit scales new heights in conservation collaboration

February 2024

Hundreds of enthusiastic young people gathered at the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge recently to help shape the future of the UK conservation sector...

Love birds welcome National Nest Box Week

February 2024

As the days start to lengthen and the breeding season approaches, it’s time to think about how we can provide a safe home for our favourite garden visitors...

British gulls contribute to plastic pollution in European wetlands

February 2024

Researchers in Spain have discovered that gulls visiting from Britain are transporting significant amounts of plastic waste from landfill sites to key wetland areas...

Mixed fortunes for UK’s herons and egrets

February 2024

Surveys show colonising egrets and Spoonbills continuing to increase in many parts of the UK, while breeding Grey Herons seem slow in bouncing back following recent declines...

Travel far, breed hard, die young! The surprising lifestyle choices of Short-eared Owls

January 2024

'Travel far, breed hard, die young' – while this might sound like a hedonistic rock-and-roll lifestyle, a new study by researchers at the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), with collaborators in Iceland and Spain, reveals this is how Short-eared Owls live their lives...

Evidence suggests that protected areas should be extended.

January 2024

A new study, involving BTO and the Wash Wader Research Group, has highlighted the importance of agricultural fields adjacent to The Wash for wintering Curlews...

Declining seabirds on a cliff edge

December 2023

Globally important seabird colonies have suffered catastrophic impacts of avian influenza over the last two years...

Volunteers needed to count winter gulls

December 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE USE The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has put today out a call for volunteers, able to identify our common wintering gull species, as part of an important project to understand and conserve these birds, which are of conservation concern because of their declining breeding populations...

Young birders fly high

November 2023

This year's Martin Garner Spurn Young Birders have been been put through their paces, testing their bird identification and general birding skills at the Spurn Migration Festival, and the winners named...

New partnership to make a positive impact for birds

November 2023

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has announced today that it is forging a long-term partnership with family-run Lincolnshire-based bird-care business Vine House Farm...

New records chart remarkable lives

November 2023

In July 1997, a Black Guillemot chick was ringed in Orkney...

Avian Flu experts urge beachgoers to report dead birds

July 2023

Thousands of threatened seabirds suspected to have died from Avian Influenza are once again washing up on UK beaches...

Thetford-based national bird charity celebrates big birthday

July 2023

Members and supporters of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) came together this weekend to celebrate the leading bird research and monitoring charity’s 90th birthday at its headquarters in Thetford, Norfolk...

Scientists discover why Cuckoos’ clocks can’t adjust to climate change

June 2023

Spring is arriving earlier each year but Cuckoos are unable to shift the timings of their annual migration in response...

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