Senior Research Ecologist
Chris's principal role is undertaking research into changes in the abundance and foraging behaviour of seabirds and waterbirds in relation to both man-made impacts and environmental processes. He takes a central role in conducting and developing marine research projects at BTO.
Interests and responsibilities
Chris's post entails a broad spectrum of research projects. Current key research includes the use of bird-borne logging devices to understand foraging behaviour, distribution and interaction of seabirds with offshore windfarms. He recently completed a review into the foraging ranges of UK breeding seabirds with a view to such data being used as a preliminary tool in identifying candidate marine protected areas (MPAs). Recent work has also explored the use of sea-watching data for monitoring the non-breeding movements of species past our coasts. Chris is also involved in environmental impace assessments of renewable energy developments on waterbird and seabird populations. He is involved in numerous other projects investigating the impacting of offshore developments on birds, and have previously completed a review of the use high definition imagery technology for surveying seabirds and marine mammals.
Other Information
Chris has a broad interest in the natural sciences with a research background in seabird ecology. He has a keen interest in seabird foraging behaviour, population ecology, and life-history environment interactions. He is an ordinary Member of the Seabird Group, and am a guest lecturer as part of BSc and MSc University modules.
Qualifications
BSc (Hons) Geography, University of Reading, 1999-2002. MSc Wildlife Conservation and Management, University of Newcastle, 2002-2003. PhD Foraging and Breeding Ecology of Guillemots and Razorbills, University of Leeds, 2005-2008.
Recent BTO publications
- Thaxter, C.B., Holt, C.A., Austin, G.E., Reneerkens, J., Koffijberg, K., Hornman, M., Frost, T., Calbrade, N., Mitchell, C., Brides, K., Hearn, R.D., Wotton, S.R., Burton, N.H.K., Pearce-Higgins, J.W. & Stroud, D.A. 2025. The use of monitoring data from north-west Europe as indicators for the health of Arctic-breeding waterbird populations. Bird Conservation International 35: doi:10.1017/S0959270925100063
- Cano-Povedano, J. , López-Calderón, C., Hortas, F., Martín-Vélez, V., Sánchez, M.I., Cañuelo-Jurado, B., Cózar , A., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Müller, W., Thaxter, C.B., Lens, L., Stienen, E., Forero, M.G., Afán, I. , Blas, J., Fiedler, W. & Green, A.J. 2025. Spatiotemporal differences in plastic biovectoring among three sympatric waterbirds. Environmental Research 285: doi:10.1016/j.envres.2025.122477
- Thaxter, C.B., Quinn, L., Atkinson, P., Booth Jones, K.A., Clark, N.A., Clewley, G.D., Green, R.M.W., O'Hanlon, N.J., Johnston, D.T., Masden, E.A., Ross-Smith, V.H., Sage, E., Scragg, E., Taylor, R., Burton, N.K.H. & Humpreys, E.H. 2025. Breeding and foraging habitat are important in determining foraging ranges of sympatric generalist species. Ibis doi:10.1111/ibi.13446
- O'Hanlon, N.J., Clewley, G.D., Johnston, D.T., Thaxter, C.B., Langlois Lopez, S., Quinn, L.R., Boersch-Supan, P.H., Masden, E.A., Daunt, F., Wilson, J., Burton, N.H.K. & Humphreys, E.M. 2025. Partial niche partitioning in three sympatric gull species through foraging areas and habitat selection. Ecology and Evolution 15: doi:10.1002/ece3.71577
- O’Hanlon, N.J., Harris, S.J., Thaxter, C.B., Boersch-Supan, P.H., Robinson, R.A., Balmer, D.E. & Burton, N.H.K. 2024. Seabird population and demographic monitoring in the UK: a review and recommendations for future sampling. BTO Research Report 754:
- Boersch-Supan, P.H., Brighton, C.H., Thaxter, C.B. & Cook, A.S.C.P. 2024. Natural body size variation in seabirds provides a fundamental challenge for flight height determination by single-camera photgrammetry. A comment on Humphries et al. 2023. Marine Biology 171: doi:10.1007/s00227-024-04396-4
- Woodward, I.D., Thaxter, C.B., Owen, E., Bolton, M., Ward, R.M. & Cook, A.S.C.P. 2024. The value of seabird foraging ranges as a tool to investigate the impact of offshore wind farms. Ocean and Coastal Management 254: doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2024.107192
- O’Hanlon, N.J., Thaxter, C.B., Clewley, G.D., Davies, J.G., Humphreys, E.M., Miller, P.I. Pollock, C.J., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Weston, E. & Cook, A.S.C.P. 2024. Challenges in quantifying the responses of Black-legged Kittiwake to habitat variables and local stressors due to individual variation. Bird Study 71: 48-64 doi:10.1080/00063657.2024.2305169
- Davies, J.G., Boersch-Supan, P.H., Clewley, G.D., Humphreys, E.M., O’Hanlon, N.J., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Thaxter, C.B., Weston, E. & Cook, A.S.C.P. 2024. Influence of wind on kittiwake Rissa tridactyla flight and offshore wind turbine collision risk. Marine Biology 171: doi:10.1007/s00227-024-04508-0
- Martín Vélez, V., Cano-Povedano, J., Cañuelo-Jurado, B., López-Calderón, C., Céspedes, V., Ros, M., Sánchez, M.I., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Müller, W., Thaxter, C.B., Camphuysen, C.J., Cózar & Green, A.J. 2024. Leakage of plastics and other debris from landfills to a highly protected lake by wintering gulls. Waste Management 177: 13-23 doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2024.01.034
Other publications
Thaxter, C.B., Redfern, C.P.F. & Bevan, R.M. 2006. Survival rates of adult Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus at a northern and southern site in England. Ringing & Migration 23 : 65-79 View Abstract