Bird ringing and nest recording

Insights on bird populations from across Europe

A crowded ocean: the need for demographic and movement data in seabird conservation

To implement effective conservation actions, locally and globally, we need to quantify the importance of the multiple, often interacting, threats to seabird population growth rates. Population models...

Reduced breeding success in Great Black-backed Gulls Larus marinus due to harness-mounted GPS device

Studies involving fitting animals with bio-logging devices have provided essential information on behaviour, ecology, physiology and ultimately species conservation. Much BTO research in recent years...

Do Marsh Tits modify their behaviour to reduce competition?

Competition between species has been put forward as a possible reason for the declines seen in some bird species, including Marsh Tit and Willow Tit, but confirming a causal link between competition...

Read the BTO's latest BirdTrends report

The BirdTrends 2022 report is a one-stop shop for authoritative information about the population status of the common breeding birds in the UK.

​Curlew collaboration to boost breeding success

Research from BTO and the University of East Anglia reveals how land management can support the breeding success of this declining species.

A different approach could provide warning of avian influenza outbreaks

Although we lack complete understanding of the disease links between wild and captive bird populations, the pattern of HPAI emergence in captive poultry reflects the movements of migratory waterfowl...

Are the declines of birds and invertebrates linked by climate change?

Many of the detected effects of climate change on biodiversity have occurred through impacts on food chains. We know that many birds are insectivorous during the breeding season, and various studies...

While most individuals disperse over short distances, long-distance dispersal is prevalent in almost all European bird species

In a study conducted in collaboration with BTO, scientists estimated the dispersal patterns of 234 European bird species using data from the EURING (European Union for Bird Ringing) Databank of birds...

Research reveals why Willow Warblers breeding in different parts of Britain are affected by climate change in different ways.

Pied Flycatcher population trends are driven by factors acting during migration and in non-breeding areas, an area which needs to be prioritised for future research.

Tracking data allows researchers to monitor Curlew without disturbance during the breeding season

The Curlew is of significant conservation concern in the UK, but many questions still remain about their breeding behaviour. This is partially due to the species’ cryptic nature and sensitivity to...

How protected areas benefit rare and declining birds

Research using data from BTO surveys shows how protected areas are working for UK birds.

A tale of two warblers

Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) results show very different population trends for Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff - but what is driving this difference? BTO research reveals climate is key.

Utilising more data for better biodiversity assessments

From volunteer surveys to environmental DNA, how can we integrate the many different types of data to better understand birds? 

Warming temperatures drive at least half of the magnitude of long-term trait changes in European birds

Climate change is impacting wild populations, but its relative importance compared to other causes of change is still unclear. Many studies assume that changes in traits primarily reflect effects of...

Birds of Conservation Concern

Commonly referred to as the UK Red List for birds, the status of birds has now been reviewed five times, covering the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.

Assessing drivers of winter abundance change in Eurasian Curlews Numenius arquata in England and Wales

Individual Tree Pipits identified by song

Acoustic monitoring is shown to be a valuable non-intrusive method of identifying individual birds in this new research.

Long-term and large-scale multispecies dataset tracking population changes of common European breeding birds

BirdTrends 2020: Trends in numbers, breeding success and survival for UK breeding birds

The BTO's BirdTrends report is a one-stop shop for information about the population status of the common breeding birds of the wider UK countryside.

Covariation in population trends and demography reveals targets for conservation action

Citizen science reveals patterns in Pied Flycatcher breeding

New research uses data from BirdTrack and the Nest Record Scheme to investigate how adaptable breeding Pied Flycatchers are to a changing climate.

Living fast: using ringing data to look at survival of British Peregrines