Press releases
New report highlights the value of the UK's wetlands
April 2015
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Offshore wind farm risk to seabirds varies between years
April 2015
Offshore wind farms are now operating or being constructed all around the UK as the government invests in renewable energy, but what are the consequences of such developments for our wildlife? New research by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has used state-of-the-art GPS tags to show how Lesser Black-backed Gulls breeding at a protected site in Suffolk use areas of sea where offshore wind farms already exist, and where future developments are earmarked...
What's happening to Buckinghamshire's Dunnocks?
April 2015
Due to the breeding population decline of Dunnocks in the UK over the past 45 years, this ‘common garden visitor’ has been given an amber conservation status...
Garden Long-tailed Tits buck the trend
April 2015
It’s always a delight to have Long-tailed Tits in the garden...
Starlings are disappearing in Greater Manchester
March 2015
Since 1980, Starling numbers have significantly and consistently declined in Greater Manchester and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Garden BirdWatch needs the public to help...
Garden BirdWatchers deliver a staggering 20 years of citizen science
March 2015
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Garden BirdWatch survey is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, thanks to the dedication of its participants...
Good news for garden birds
March 2015
2014 was a good year for garden birds, though maybe not for garden birdwatchers! Thanks to decent weather and plenty of resources, gardens were not inundated with our common garden birds according to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Garden BirdWatch...
Chasing a changing climate
February 2015
Is it better to live in the north or the south? It’s a question that even birds are struggling to answer as the climate in different parts of Britain changes in a variety of ways...
Citizen science boxers fight climate change
February 2015
It may still seem like the depths of winter, but many of our birds are already gearing up for the breeding season...
Don’t be late for the table! Fast food is favoured by urban gulls
February 2015
Black-headed Gulls in urban environments are better at responding to human foods than their rural counterparts, shows new research in Bird Study; the Journal of the British Trust for Ornithology...
Missing: Garden Finches
January 2015
This winter has seen incredibly low numbers of Siskins, a small finch that traditionally turns to our gardens for food during the winter, according to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Garden BirdWatch...
Bad news for backyard biodiversity
January 2015
Global biodiversity loss has hit the headlines with worrying frequency during the latter part of 2014, be it the rate at which Amazonian rainforests are being felled or the increase in poaching pressure on African elephants and the northern white rhino...
Santa is still alive - Robin that is!
December 2014
Thanks to a relatively mild start to the year, a bumper breeding season, and plenty of food available in the wider countryside this autumn, it’s been a good year for Robins, including the extraordinary Santa Robin! Robin Santa 06 Golden Valley 21-01-14 Ian W (1)-200px...
Seabirds steer to avoid collision course with offshore wind farms
December 2014
Collisions between birds and turbines are seen as one of the key impacts of offshore wind farms...
Thetford man takes gold
December 2014
Doug Mullings of St John’s Way, was awarded a gold medal this weekend for outstanding service to the Thetford based British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)...
Northampton man's service recognised
December 2014
Dave Francis receives the British Trust for Ornithology’s prestigious Tucker Medal for ‘outstanding service to the trust’ at the 81st Annual Conference on Saturday 6 December...
Wrens are winning in Northumberland
December 2014
Harsh winters with prolonged spells of cold weather hit small birds hard as they struggle to survive the testing conditions...
Goldcrest numbers grow after a slow start
December 2014
Harsh winters with prolonged spells of cold weather hit small birds hard as they struggle to survive the testing conditions...
Summer returned in 2014, but our migrant birds didn't
December 2014
The warm, settled weather that graced Britain & Ireland in the spring and summer of 2014 resulted in a bumper bird breeding season...
Amazing Cuckoo completes 60,000 mile journey
November 2014
Since being fitted with a satellite tag by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) four years ago, Chris the cuckoo, named after TV Wildlife Presenter Chris Packham, has travelled over 60,000 miles – the equivalent of flying twice round the world, and he’s taken in 22 different countries along the way! Chris-62608-200px...
Thetford Bird Man scoops national award
November 2014
A Thetford-based charity was in the limelight last week as one of its staff members scooped a prestigious award for his excellent work in charity communications...
What will the winter hold for birds?
November 2014
So far the unusual weather of 2014 has clearly driven unexpected highs and lows in garden bird numbers...
Seabird scientist gets one of Ornithology's top awards
October 2014
At a ceremony in London, seabird ecologist, Francis Daunt, was awarded the British Trust for Ornithology’s prestigious Marsh Award for Ornithology for his significant contribution to the understanding of the UK’s seabirds...
Spoon-billed Sandpiper team recognised
October 2014
At a ceremony in London, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) Conservation Breeding team were awarded the Marsh Award for Innovative Ornithology, for their exceptional work in helping to save the Spoon-billed Sandpiper - one of the rarest birds in the world - from extinction...
Friends of Skokholm and Skomer recognised
October 2014
At a ceremony in London, The Friends of Skokholm and Skomer were awarded the Marsh Award for Local Ornithology in recognition of the huge amount of work they have done to put Skokholm Island back on to the British ornithological map...
Nigerian scientist receives prestigious British Ornithology award
October 2014
At a ceremony in London, Dr Shiiwua Manu was awarded the Marsh Award for International Ornithology for his exceptional work in advancing the knowledge of birds in Nigeria...
BBC science reporter receives one of Britain's top ornithological awards
October 2014
At a ceremony in London, BBC Science reporter, Victoria Gill was awarded the British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO) prestigious Dilys Breese Medal, for her exceptional science communication...
Bird Atlas team scoop RSPB's most prestigious award
October 2014
At the annual RSPB Members’ Day in Birmingham on Saturday 25th October 2014, the RSPB Medal was awarded to the team behind the Bird Atlas 2007–11 in a special presentation that acknowledged its role as a valuable resource to everyone involved in conserving, researching or understanding Britain and Ireland’s birds...
Red Admiral resurgence in gardens
October 2014
Earlier in the year the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Garden BirdWatch reported that butterflies were showing dramatic patterns of emergence, promising another successful year...
