David Noble

Head & Principal Ecologist

David Noble

Contact

David is responsible for the strategic development of BTO’s monitoring programme and associated research, is the main contact for biodiversity indicators, surveys of taxa other than birds, and for conservation initiatives such as BAP and Birds of Conservation Concern.

Interests & Responsibilities

  • Senior investigator with extensive experience in the analysis and interpretation of biological data.
  • Represents BTO on a range of scientific and statutory committees related to bird and mammal conservation.
  • Interested in capacity building and development of monitoring programmes for birds and other taxa in the UK and internationally, particularly in Europe.
  • Committed to an evidence-based approach to tackling a range of conservation issues.
  • Experience leading a team of researchers on projects related to bird conservation, temporal and spatial variation in bird abundance and distribution and the development of analytical methods.
  • Development of bird indicators in the UK and in Europe.
  • Previously, researcher on the ecology and behaviour of seabirds in Canada and cuckoo hosts in the UK and Africa, currently investigating effects of pollutants on migratory waders in North America.

Other Information

European Bird Census Council (EBCC) – Delegate, and Observer on Executive Committee Tracking Mammals Partnership

Qualifications

BSc Guelph University, Canada. MSc Queen’s University, Canada. PhD University of Cambridge, UK.

Recent BTO Publications

Harris, S.J., Massimino, D., Balmer, D.E., Kelly, L., Noble, D.G., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Woodcock, P., Wotton, S. & Gillings, S. 2022. The Breeding Bird Survey 2021. British Trust for Ornithology, Thetford, Norfolk ISBN: 978-1-912642-37-3 36pp
Robinson, O.J., Socolar, J.B., Stuber, E.F., Auer, T., Berryman, A.J., Boersch-Supan, P., Brightsmith, D.J., Burbridge, D.J., Burbridge, A.H., Butchart, S.H.M., Davis, C.L., Dokter, A.M., Di Giacomo, A.S., Farnsworth, A., Fink, D., Hochachka, W.M., Holwell, P.E., La Sprte, F.A., Lees, A.C., Marsden, S., Martin, R., Martin, R.O., Masello, J.F., Miller, E.T., Moodley, Y., Musgrove, A., Noble, D., Ojeda, V., Quillfeldt, P., Royle, J.A., Ruiz-Gutierrez, V., Tella, J.L., Yorio, P., Youngflesh, C. & Johnston, A. 2022. Extreme uncertainty and unquantifiable bias do not inform population sizes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 119 View at journal website (DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113862119) 2pp
Hanmer, H.J., Boothby, C., Toms, M.P., Noble, D.G. & Balmer, D.E. 2022. Large-scale citizen science survey of a common nocturnal raptor: urbanization and weather conditions influence the occupancy and detectability of the Tawny Owl Strix aluco. Bird Study Link to publication View at journal website (DOI: /10.1080/00063657.2021.2019188)
Soultan, A., Pavón-Jordán, D., Bradter, U., Sandercock, B., Hochachka, W., Johnston, A., Brommer, J., Gaget, E., Keller, V., Knaus, P., Aghababyan, K., Maxhuni, Q., Vintchevski, A., Nagy, K., Raudonikis, L., Balmer, D., Noble, D., Leitão, D., Øien, I.J., Shimmings, P., Sultanov, E., Caffrey, B., Boyla, D., Radišić, Lindström, Å., Velevski, M., Pladevall, C., Brotons, L., Karel, Š., Rajković, D.Z., Chodkiewicz, T., Wilk, T.,. Tibor, S., van Turnhout, C., Foppen, R., Burfield, I., Vikstrøm, T., Mazal, V.D., Eaton, M., Vorisek, P., Lehikoinen, A., Herrando, S., Kuzmenko, T., Bauer, H-G., Kalyakin, M., Voltzit, O., Sjeničić, J. & Pärt, T. 2022. The future distribution of wetland birds breeding in Europe validated against observed changes in distribution. Environmental Research Letters View at journal website (DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ac4ebe)
Morrison C.A., Auniņš A., Benkő Z., Brotons L., Chodkiewicz T., Chylarecki P., Escandell V., Eskildsen D.P, Gamero A., Herrando S., Jiguet F., Kålås J.A., Kamp J., Klvaňová A., Kmecl P., Lehikoinen A., Lindström Å., Moshøj C., Noble D.G., Øien I.J., Paquet J-Y., Reif J., Sattler T., Seaman B.S., Teufelbauer N., Trautmann S., van Turnhout C.A.M., Vořišek P. & Butler S.J. 2021. Bird population declines and species turnover are changing the acoustic properties of spring soundscapes. Nature Communications Link to publication View at journal website (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26488-1)
Harris, S.J., Massimino, D., Balmer, D.E., Eaton, M.A., Noble, D.G., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Woodcock, P. & Gillings, S. 2021. The Breeding Bird Survey 2020. Research Report no. 736. British Trust for Ornithology, Thetford, Norfolk ISBN: 978-1-912642-28-1
View all BTO publications for this author

Other Publications

Pratte, I., Noble, D., Mallory, L.M., Braun, B.M. & Provencher, J.F. 2020. The influence of migration patterns on exposure to contaminants in Nearctic shorebirds: a historical study. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 192 (DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-8218-1) 


Gaston, A.J., Chapdelaine, G. & Noble, D.G. 1983. The growth of Thick-billed Murre chicks at colonies in Hudson Strait: inter- and intra-colony variation. Canadian Journal of Zoology 61 (part 11) : 2 465-2 475 View Abstract Link to Article (DOI: 10.1139/z83-327)

Content Related to David Noble