Simon Gillings

Principal Data Scientist

Contact

Simon works with colleagues across BTO to provide strategic leadership, analytical input and design input into the development of data products for internal and external audiences. In parallel he leads the development of tools for acoustic monitoring of birds.

Interests & Responsibilities

Simon's main interests are in developing methods and applications that turn BTO data into accessible, robust and visually appealing products for different audiences and stakeholders, to improve knowledge and outcomes for bird populations.

• Recent examples include the revised BTO BirdFacts and interactive Trends Explorer.

He is keen to integrate different data to produce improved insights, for example to contribute to Environmental Impact Assessments through the production of BTO Data Reports.

In parallel, Simon works with Stuart Newson to develop bioacoustic monitoring tools implemented through the BTO Acoustic Pipeline. Simon's work includes the use of deep learning to develop tools to identify birds and other organisms in audio data to support conservation and management work.

• Simon is Honorary Lecturer in the University of East Anglia's School of Biological Sciences.

Other Information

Simon is a keen birder and sound recordist, including using passive sound recording to monitor nocturnal bird migration. Simon maintains nocmig.com as a resource for others interested in starting to record nocturnal bird migration. A deep understanding of the identification of birds by flight calls led Simon to develop tools for automated species identification using machine learning.

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) Ecology, University of East Anglia, 1992-1995
• PhD Diurnal and nocturnal ecology of Golden Plovers Pluvialis apricaria and Lapwings Vanellus vanellus wintering on arable farmland, University of East Anglia, 1999-2003