The Retrapping Adults for Survival (RAS) scheme is a national standardised ringing programme within the BTO Ringing Scheme that has been running since 1999.

Ringers aim to catch or re-sight at least 50 adult birds of a single species in a study area during the breeding season. The study area is well defined and the ringer is aiming to record the vast majority of the adults.

There are approximately 200 projects throughout Britain and Ireland on species as diverse as House Sparrow, Moorhen, Pied Flycatcher and Manx Shearwater. The RAS results page provides a full list of the species covered.

RAS is used to give adult survival rates and is particularly useful for those species not widely covered by CES. 

The Partners

The Retrapping Adults for Survival scheme is supported by a partnership between the BTO and the JNCC on behalf of the statutory nature conservation bodies (Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, NatureScot and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland). 

The Retrapping Adults for Survival scheme is part of the BTO Ringing Scheme which is also funded by the BTO/JNCC Partnership, The National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland) and the ringers themselves. The BTO's contribution to the Ringing Scheme is supported by funding from gifts in Wills, for which we are extremely grateful.