Head & Principal Ecologist
Office:
Thetford
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.
- 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
BSc Guelph University, Canada. MSc Queen’s University, Canada. PhD University of Cambridge, UK.
Recent BTO Publications
- Heywood, J.J.N., Massimino, D., Baker, L., Balmer, D.E., Brighton, C.H., Gillings, S., Kelly, L., Noble, D.G., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., White, D.M., Woodcock, P., Workman, E. & Wotton, S. The Breeding Bird Survey 2024 View at journal website( DOI: )
- Massimino, D., Woodward, I.D., Barber, L., Barimore, C., Harris, S.J., Leech, D.I., Noble, D.G., Walker, R.H., Baillie, S.R. & Robinson, R.A. BirdTrends 2023 View at journal website( DOI: )
- Heywood, J.J.N., Massimino, D., Balmer, D.E., Kelly, L., Marion, S., Noble, D.G., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., White, D.M., Woodcock, P., Wotton, S. and Gillings, S. The Breeding Bird Survey 2023 View at journal website( DOI: )
- Stanbury, A.J., Burns, F., Aebischer, N.J., Baker, H., Balmer, D., Brown, A.F., Dunn, T., Lindley, P., Murphy, M., Noble, D.G., Owens, R. & Quinn, L. The status of the UK’s breeding seabirds View at journal website( DOI: )
- Massimino, D., Baillie, S.R., Balmer, D.E., Bashford, R.I., Gregory, R.D., Harris, S.J., Heywood, J.J.N., Kelly, L.A., Noble, D.G., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Raven, M.J., Risely, K., Woodcock, P., Wotton, S.R. & Gillings, S. The Breeding Bird Survey of the United Kingdom 10.1111/geb.13943 View at journal website( DOI:10.1111/geb.13943 )
- Heywood, J.J.N., Massimino, D., Balmer, D.E., Kelly, L., Noble, D.G., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Woodcock, P., Wotton, S., Gillings, S. & Harris, S.J. The Breeding Bird Survey 2022 View at journal website( DOI: )
- Rigala, S., Dakos, V., Alonso, H., Auniņš, A., Benkőe, Z., Brotons, L., Chodkiewicz, T., Chylareck, P., de Carlil, E., del Moral, J.C., Domșa, C., Escandell, V., Fontaine, B., Foppen, R., Gregory, R., Harris, S., Herrando, S., Husby, M., Leronymidou C., Jiguet, J., Kennedy, J., Klvaňová, A., Kmecl, P., Kuczyński, L. , Kurlavičius, P., Kålås J.A., Lehikoinen, A., Lindström, Å, Lorrillière, R., Moshø, C., Nellis, R., Noble, D., Eskildsen, D.P., Paquet, J-Y., Pelissié, M., Pladevall, C., Portolou, D., Reif, J., Schmid, H., Seaman, B., Szabo, Z.D., Szép, T., Florenzano, G.T., Teufelbauer, N., Trautmann, S., van Turnhout, C., Vermouzek, Z., Vikstrøm, T., Voříšek, P., Weiserbs, A. & Devictor, V. Farmland practices are driving bird population decline across Europe 10.1073/pnas.2216573120 View at journal website( DOI:10.1073/pnas.2216573120 )
- Noble, D.G. & Gillings, S. Production of smoothed population trends when a key year of data is missing. View at journal website( DOI: )
- Noble, D.G. & Barnes, A.E. Development of an Upland Bird Indicator for the UK and for England View at journal website( DOI: )
- Gregory, R.D., Eaton, M.A., Burfield, I.J., Grice, P.V., Howard, C., Klvaňová, A., Noble, D., Šilarová, E., Staneva, A., Stephens, P.A., Willis, S.G., Woodward, I.D. & Burns, F. Drivers of the changing abundance of European birds at two spatial scales 10.1098/rstb.2022.0198 View at journal website( DOI:10.1098/rstb.2022.0198 )