Publications

Publications

BTO create and publish a variety of important articles, papers, journals and other publications, independently and with our partners, for organisations, government and the private sector. Some of our publications (books, guides and atlases) are also available to buy in our online shop.

Annual report of the Seabird Monitoring Programme

Seabird Population Trends and Causes of Change: 1986–2023

This report presents the latest seabird population trends in breeding abundance and productivity using data from the Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP). 

The report documents changes in the abundance and productivity of breeding seabird species in Britain and Ireland from 1986 to 2023, and provides a detailed account of the 2021, 2022 and 2023 breeding seasons.

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Annual report of the Seabird Monitoring Programme

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Northern Ireland Seabird Report 2019

Author:

Published: 2020

There were mixed fortunes for Northern Ireland’s seabirds in 2019, but monitoring that year also confirmed the importance of the country’s coastline for its 22 breeding seabird species. Key findings of the Northern Ireland Seabird Report 2019 include promising news about Kittiwake numbers. The Red-listed Kittiwake is in long-term decline in the UK as a whole, with numbers of breeding adults standing at less than half their 1960s total. However, this decrease is happening at a much slower rate in Notherern Ireland, and some colonies are actually showing a long-term increase. In 2019, Kittiwakes in Northern Ireland had a good year, with increases at all sites. The colonies The Gobbins and Muck Island fared particularly well, with numbers increasing by 68% and 65% respectively compared to 2018. Razorbills and Guillemots also did well in 2019, the former being recorded in its highest numbers since records began at Muck Island and the latter having its best year since 2016. It is not all good news, however. Fulmar numbers continue to decline, along with Black Guillemot, at Northern Ireland’s best known seabird haven, Rathlin Island. The annual recording of seabird numbers by volunteers is vital for capturing the long-term changes in Northern Ireland's breeding seabird population, and alerting policy makers to the need for conservation action.

18.03.20

Reports Northern Ireland Seabird Report

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Estimating species distributions from spatially biased citizen science data

Author:

Published: 2020

Birdwatchers travel further to sites with rarer species, creating spatial bias. For 138 bird species we ran occupancy models for spatially biased and unbiased data. On average, occupancy estimates from spatially biased and unbiased data were aligned. We added weights to occupancy models, describing the probability of sampling. In areas with low sampling density, weights improved accuracy, but not precision.

05.03.20

Papers

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