Research from BTO has investigated the ways in which to optimise long-term GPS tagging in large gulls, so that sufficient data are collected while birds' welfare needs are met.

New research involving BTO suggests that the management of protected areas in Europe can aid wintering waterbirds species in shifting their ranges north as the climate warms.

A new collaborative research study involving BTO has used GPS to track the movements of one of Europe’s rarest birds of prey, the Greater Spotted Eagle, shedding light on the pressures this species faces outside of the breeding season. Supporting our colleagues in Ukraine We have been working with Ukrainian and Belarusian colleagues in Polesia since 2019. We are appalled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and stand in full support of those affected by this conflict. Our project partner Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) has been working to get partners and staff in Ukraine to safety, though most remain on-site, providing refugees with resources and supporting the protected areas’ running costs at a time when other funding has been cut off. We hope that the global support of Ukraine will help bring an end to this appalling conflict, and that we will be able to continue to work with our colleagues to learn about and protect the country’s precious habitats and wildlife. If you would like to make a donation, visit the ZFS fundraising appeal.

New research from a collaboration between BTO, Natural England and researchers at the University of Exeter has used GPS-tracking to investigate the movement behaviour of Lesser Black-backed Gulls in response to landfill closures. Gulls were found to increase their foraging effort and switch to alternative habitats following the loss of this important food resource. During the 20th century, gull populations across the globe increased rapidly in response to human activities, with the availability of waste food in landfill sites a key driver of their success. However recently, some gull populations have declined, particularly at formerly large coastal colonies, with the closure of tips likely a contributing factor. Previous gull studies have shown reductions in reproductive performance and changes in diet following landfill closures. However the implications for the birds’ movements have not previously been studied. This research used GPS-tracking data from adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls breeding at two colonies within Special Protection Areas where the species is a designation feature – South Walney, Cumbria and Ribble Marshes, Lancashire – to investigate changes in movement behaviour following the closure of major landfill sites within the birds’ foraging range. In the year after the landfills closed, breeding gulls increased their foraging effort as they had to travel further and for longer on foraging trips. They also switched to alternative foraging habitats. Gulls breeding at South Walney increased their selection of agricultural areas following landfill closures, whilst birds breeding at Ribble Marshes foraged more in nearby towns and cities. Although the long-term consequences of landfill closures for Lesser Black-backed Gulls are unclear, these results highlight how the availability of anthropogenic resources far outside protected areas may influence gull movement behaviour, highlighting the importance of spatial scale when attempting to conserve and manage highly mobile species like gulls. In the short term, gulls responded to landfill closures by switching to forage either in agricultural areas or urban habitats. These habitat switches may alter the location of human-gull conflicts, as foraging gulls in agricultural areas may steal livestock food while those in towns and cities engage in perceived nuisance behaviours such as fouling, littering and food-snatching, potentially requiring management interventions. Finally, this study highlights the value of technology such as GPS-devices as a tool to monitor rapid behavioural responses of birds to future environmental change.

New BTO research has examined the extent to which data on avian electrocutions and collisions are collected by companies responsible for high-voltage powerlines across Europe, and made recommendations to develop best practice. The continued increase in global energy demand requires expanding networks of power supply. High-voltage overhead powerlines, however, pose a collision and electrocution risk to some bird species if poorly sited or designed. Most powerline companies are legally required to mitigate these impacts, and so a range of data on bird mortality, abundance and mitigation effectiveness are often collected. But such data are not always available or accessible, preventing a wider-scale understanding of how vulnerable species may be. A new BTO paper published this week, in collaboration with RSPB, and the Renewables Grid Initiative, summarises the results of a questionnaire and workshop that brought together industry, conservationists and academics within Europe, to discuss these aspects and potential ways forward. Despite enthusiasm for sharing information, to date the task has been hampered by the lack of a centralised database, standardisation of data collection methods and data confidentiality. To overcome these barriers, a stepwise approach is suggested, developing further guidance around field methods, and collating broader information about individual studies. This approach would, in time, help unlock the full potential value of these data, reducing potential impacts on vulnerable bird populations.