Welcome to the BTO

Looking out for birds? Share your interest in birds with others by being part of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Volunteer surveyors, members and staff work in partnership to provide unbiased information about birds and their habitats. Join or volunteer today and make birds count.

New population estimate for Nightingale

The latest figures from BTO, just published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, give us a total of between 5,095 and 5,983 individuals distributed at sites spread across the south and east of England, with Lodge Hill in Kent identified as the most important site for this iconic species. Read more here

And they're off

Five of our sateliite tagged Cuckoos have left the UK during the last few days. Thomas, a Cuckoo local to the BTO, is leading the pack and is currently in southern France. Who will be the first to cross the Sahara? Follow them all as their journeys unfold here. You can also help the project by sponsoring your favourite.

Tickets now on sale

Tickets are now on sale for the sixth annual Spurn Migration Festival, celebrating the great bird migration spectacle that passes through Spurn in East Yorkshire. The Festival runs from 7-9 September 2018. Tickets can obtained from the Migfest website.

Are you seeing Bullfinches in your garden?

Records from approximately 11,000 BTO Garden BirdWatchers indicate that Bullfinches are being seen in more gardens than ever this year! Bullfinches were seen by 19% of Garden BirdWatchers in April 2018, which is almost double the average (1995-2017) for this month. These figures follow on from a record high last winter, after a successful breeding season. Our Annual Results for 2017 show a 16% increase in the percentage of gardens reporting them compared to 2016. See the full Garden BirdWatch Annual Results.

Other recent news

A northern powerhouse

Cuckoo class of 2018

Three tagged Cuckoos back in the UK