Dawn Balmer
Head of Surveys
The Surveys Team at the BTO runs most of its large-scale bird surveys, including the Wetland Bird Survey, Breeding Bird Survey, BirdTrack, Waterways Breeding Bird Survey and Heronries Census. In addition, Dawn also maintains and coordinates the Regional Network, BTO's network of volunteer Regional Representatives. She also has responsibility for Regional Conferences.
Interests & Responsibilities
The Surveys Team organises volunteer-based surveys to collect the data that are core to the BTO’s work on bird populations, including population estimates, trends and distribution. Dawn has a long-term interest in migration and movements of birds and population dynamics and was the Atlas Coordinator for Bird Atlas 2007–11. Dawn is Secretary of the European Bird Census Council and Chair of the Rare Breeding Birds Panel.
Other Information
Director of British Birds and Editorial Board Member of British Birds, Trustee of the Eric Hosking Charitable Trust and writes regularly for British Wildlife. Member of the British Birds Rarities Committee and former member of the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee.
Dawn is a keen birdwatcher, ringer, general naturalist and enjoys photography.
The Bird Atlas 2007–11 team were recipients of the 2014 RSPB Medal.
Qualifications
BSc (Hons) Environmental Science, Polytechnic South West, Plymouth 1988
–91.
Recent BTO Publications
James W. Pearce-Higgins, Elizabeth M. Humphreys, Niall H.K. Burton, Philip W. Atkinson, Chris Pollock, Gary D. Clewley, Daniel T. Johnston, Nina J. O’Hanlon, Dawn E. Balmer, Teresa M. Frost, Sarah J. Harris & Helen Baker
2023.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds in the United Kingdom in 2022: impacts, planning for future outbreaks, and conservation and research priorities. Report on virtual workshops held in November 2022.
Research Report no. 752.
British Trust for Ornithology, Thetford
ISBN: 978-1-912642-47-2
92pp
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
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)
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
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