Papers

Papers

BTO publishes peer-reviewed papers in a wide range of scientific journals, both independently and with our partners. If you are unable to access a scientific paper by a BTO author, please contact us.

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A framework for monitoring ecosystem restoration at landscape scale

Author: Ockendon, N., Gullet, P.R., Hancock, M.H., Noble, D., Shaw, T. & Thomas, D.

Published: 2025

Ecological restoration projects tend to be large, involve multiple stakeholders and include a range of ambitions including a move towards more natural ecological processes. This paper evaluates the monitoring framework developed for the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme (ELSP) by BTO and the ELSP team, based on six years of experience with14 funded projects.

18.12.25

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Acoustic monitoring enables multi-taxa conservation assessment and prioritisation over large scales and for rare and cryptic species

Author: Ashton-Butt, A., Newson, S.E., Doser, J., Gillings, S., Kuzmenko, T., Fenchuk, V., Scott, C., Pearce-Higgins, J. & Atkinson, P.W.

Published: 2025

Passive acoustic monitoring provides landscape-scale data on rare and cryptic species across multiple taxa in the Polesia region (northern Ukraine and southern Belarus), acting as a relatively quick and cost-effective tool for informing effective conservation action.

17.12.25

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Power source, data retrieval method, and attachment type affect success of dorsally mounted tracking tag deployments in 37 species of shorebirds

Author: Weiser, E.L., Lanctot, R.B., Ruthrauff, D.R., Saalfeld, S.T., Tibbitts, T.L., Abad-Gómez, J.M., Aldabe, J., Bosi de Almeida, J., Alves, J.A., Anderson, G.Q.A., Battley, P.F., Belting, H., Bêty, J., Bianchini, K., Bishop, M.A., Bom, R.A., Bowgen, K., Brown, G.S., Brown, S.C., Bugoni, L., Burton, N.H.K., Bybee, D.R., Carneiro, C., Castresana, G., Chan, Y.-C., Choi, C.-Y., Christie, K.S., Clark, N.A., Conklin, J.R., Cruz-López, M., Dinsmore, S.J., Dodd, S.G., Douglas, D.C., Eberhart-Hertel, L.J., English, W.B., Ewing, H.T., Faria, F.A., Franks, S.E., Fuller, R.A., Gill Jr, R.E., Giroux, M.-A., Gratto-Trevor, C.L., Green, D.J., Green, R.E., Green, R.M.W., Gunnarsson, T.G., Gutiérrez, J.S., Harrison, A.-L., Hartman, C.A., Hassell, C.J., Hoepfner, S.A., Hooijmeijer, J.C.E.W., Johnson, J.A., Johnson, O.W., Kempenaers, B., Klaassen, M., Kok, E.M.A., Krietsch, J., Küpper, C., Kwarteng, A.Y., Kw

Published: 2025

Tracking studies, where individual devices are fitted to birds to follow their movements, are becoming increasingly common in ornithology. This paper uses previous research tracking waders to evalutate how various factors, including tag attachment type and power source, affect the likelihood that a study will meet its goals, and provides guidelines for selecting a tracking technique to optimise the chances of success.

04.12.25

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Bioacoustics as a tool for the detection and monitoring of a scarce woodland bird – the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Author: Smith, K., Smith, L., Addleton, N., Clements, R., Fisk, S., Gillings, S., Mallalieu, M., Mathieson H. & Robin, A.

Published: 2025

Passive acoustic monitoring is an effective way of monitoring the elusive and declining Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, improving our understanding of the species’ status, ecology and the conservation actions that might reverse its fortunes.

01.12.25

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Overwinter population estimates of waterbirds in Great Britain

Author: Caulfield, E., Woodward, I., Peck, K., Wotton, S. & Frost, T.

Published: 2025

Analysis of data from long-term monitoring schemes gives a total wintering waterbird population estimate in Great Britain of 12.8 million individuals for 2017/2018 to 2022/2023. While this total is unchanged from the previous estimate, there have been notable shifts, with numbers of estuarine waders, Whooper Swans, Little Egrets and non-migratory geese increasing, and declines in several duck and goose populations, including Bewick’s Swan, Pink-footed Goose and Teal.

01.12.25

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Temporal changes to migratory fuel load in migratory birds across Europe

Author: Border, J.A., Robinson, R.A., Pearce-Higgins , J.W., Hewson, C.M., Howard, C., Stephens, P.A., Willis, S.G., von Rönn, J.A.C., Henry, P.-Y., Lorrilliere, R., Serra, L., Imperio, S., Gargallo, G., Baltà, O., Karcza, Z., Vangeluwe, D., Valkama, J., Perez, C., Bensusan, K., Fransson, T., Herrmann, C., Bairlein, F., Fiedler, W., Horton, J. & Baillie, S.R.

Published: 2025

Data from bird ringing show changes in the timing of birds feeding up before their autumn migration across Europe over the past 40 years, and a decrease in the extent of fattening recorded. This decline was strongest in southern Europe and was linked to rising temperatures associated with climate change.

10.11.25

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