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.

Dilys Breese and Marsh Awards 2017

The Dilys Breese Medal and the Marsh Awards for ornithology were given to the 2017 recipients at the BTO awards ceremony held at the Society of Wildlife Artists Mall Gallery. Six awards were given, ranging from an award for achievements in international ornithology to one for excellence in science communication.

Support BTO in the weekly lottery

A weekly lottery with a difference! In our new Unity lottery, for every £1 you play, 50p will go straight to our work so the more people that play, the more money we receive. The draw takes place each Saturday and each entry costs just £1 per week. Each time you have the chance to win a £25,000 jackpot, plus other fantastic cash prizes, and at the same time, you're helping to raise funds for our work looking out for birds.

Online Ringing and nest recording

The latest ringing and Nest Recording figures are out and show that during 2016 over one million birds were ringed. While Blue Tit was the most ringed species, Goldfinch made number two with 55,754 individuals ringed. Seventeen new longevity records were set, 46,272 nest records were received, and Tree Sparrow was in the top five species for nest record monitoring. Take a look at the report online here.

Glimmer of hope for Curlew

The UK holds almost a third of the global breeding population of Curlew. Declines here have been greatest in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and in Ireland the breeding range has contracted by a massive 78%. By analysing data, collected by thousands of volunteer birdwatchers as part of the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), BTO has, for the first time, documented how a range of different pressures may be responsible for this national decline.

Other recent news

Movetech takes next steps in tracking

Help with duck identification

Breeding Bird Survey Report 2016