Press releases
Where are our garden butterflies?
July 2021
The cold 2021 spring and early summer seems to have had an impact on some of our garden butterflies – so far in 2021 nearly all of the 13 species, monitored as part of the British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO) Garden BirdWatch (GBW), are being seen in fewer gardens and are also appearing later than usual...
East Anglia’s record breaking Cuckoo is off again!
July 2021
PJ, the Suffolk-based satellite tag-wearing Cuckoo who recently completed his fifth whole migration to and from Africa, flying over 50,000 miles in doing so, is off again – he left Suffolk heading south on 9 July...
Worcestershire Cuckoos are go!
July 2021
Three Worcestershire Cuckoos fitted with satellite tags by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) this spring are at the start of a 5,000 mile journey south that will help scientists understand why their numbers in the UK are falling...
Summer is over – at least for one Welsh Cuckoo
June 2021
A cuckoo named JAC, fitted with a satellite tag at World’s End, Llangollen, by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) this spring, has already left Wales and begun his long journey south...
Scottish Cuckoos are go!
June 2021
Three Cuckoos fitted with satellite tags by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) this spring have already left Scotland and begun their long journey south...
Eleven Cuckoos with backpacks ready for a mission to help save their kind.
June 2021
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) have just finished fitting Cuckoos from different parts of the UK with high-tech backpacks to help fill gaps in what we know about how they fare over their annual cycle...
New study reveals how to save our fastest-declining breeding wader
June 2021
New research from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has provided clues as to how to conserve one of our best-loved but declining species – the Curlew...
Martin Garner Spurn Young Birder – it’s back!
June 2021
After a year without this annual celebration of the skill and dedication of young birders from across the UK, Spurn Bird Observatory Trust and the BTO are once again welcoming all young birders to take part in the Martin Garner Spurn Young Birder event...
Where are our bees?
May 2021
Thursday 20 May is World Bee Day and according to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), who monitor seven species of bee as part of their weekly Garden BirdWatch survey, bees are being seen in much lower numbers this spring compared to this time last year...
A tale of two warblers – the ups and downs of birds in England
May 2021
The latest BTO/RSPB/JNCC Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) report shows the very different fortunes in England for two almost identical warblers, the Willow Warbler and the Chiffchaff...
New tools will help to ensure new trees are put in the right place.
May 2021
Ambitious targets have been set for forest expansion across the UK which will provide opportunities for woodland birds but could also pose threats for species reliant on open habitats...
Spurn Migration Festival 2021
May 2021
The dates have been announced for the Spurn Migration Festival...
Record breaking Cuckoo returns to the UK
April 2021
PJ the Cuckoo has returned to his forest home in Suffolk and has become a record breaker whilst doing so...
Did you get a lockdown frog?
April 2021
According to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), almost a fifth of the people who take part in their Garden BirdWatch Survey (GBW) had Common Frogs in their gardens during 2020...
British and Irish gardens fuel a novel reverse migration for Blackcaps in winter
April 2021
The allure of garden feeders has transformed the biology of a bird that visits Britain and Ireland for the winter...
UK winter holidays no longer needed by some ducks
April 2021
The latest Wetland Bird Survey Report (WeBS) published today shows that for some species of waterbirds, crossing the North Sea for a winter holiday in the UK may not happen every winter...
Hope for House Sparrows
March 2021
Saturday 20 March is World Sparrow Day and according to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), there are reasons to be hopeful for our House Sparrows...
Northern Ireland’s seabirds get an annual health check.
March 2021
2020 produced a mixed bag for Northern Ireland’s seabirds but confirmed the importance of the country’s coastline for its 20 breeding seabird species...
Migration routes of one of Britain’s largest ducks revealed for the first time, but much still remains a mystery
March 2021
New research, just published in the journal Ringing & Migration, has used state of the art tracking technology to investigate how one of Britain's largest ducks, the Shelduck, interacts with offshore wind turbines during their migration across the North Sea...
UK public embraces garden wildlife during coronavirus lockdown
March 2021
Gardens and their wildlife have provided lockdown homeowners with a significant opportunity to engage with nature, so say researchers running the weekly BTO Garden BirdWatch, whose 2020 results have been announced today...
UK's longest running bird survey hit by Covid-19
March 2021
Breeding numbers of Grey Herons have been continuously monitored by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) since 1928, making this the longest data set of any British bird...
Survey of UK's coast highlights change in wintering waterbird populations
March 2021
The findings from a survey of the wintering waterbirds on the UK's non-estuarine coast, delivered by a network of volunteer observers, has revealed significant changes in the numbers of several waterbird species, including Lapwing, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone, and Sanderling...
New partnership formed to save England’s threatened Curlews
March 2021
The Curlew Recovery Partnership is a new, exciting and transformative initiative, bringing together all those with an interest in Curlew conservation, including land managers, farmers, gamekeepers, policymakers and researchers...
Voluntary move away from lead ammunition shows little progress
February 2021
New research reveals that, a year after the announcement of the voluntary shift away from lead shot to non-lead alternatives, some 99% of shot Pheasants still contain lead shot...
Opening up the hidden world of bats, bush-crickets and small mammals
February 2021
A new online tool, just launched by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), opens up the previously hidden world of bats, bush-crickets, and small mammals...
The BB/BTO Best Bird Book of the Year 2020
February 2021
British Birds (BB) and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) announce the winner of the award for Best Bird Book of the Year 2020...
Young wildlife enthusiasts to get much needed equipment in brand new scheme
February 2021
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) have just launched a scheme to help redistribute binoculars, telescopes, identification field guides and much more from those that don’t need them anymore, to those that do...
New study identifies woodland management practices that are good for Britain’s bats
November 2020
New research, just published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management, has assessed bat populations across broadleaved woodlands managed in different ways...
Love in the time of lockdown - no apparent boom for breeding songbirds
December 2020
Data collected by the volunteer bird ringers operating Constant Effort Scheme (CES) Sites for the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) provide insights into the numbers, breeding success and survival rates of 24 widespread resident and migrant songbirds...
RESEARCHERS SEEK HELP TO TRACK GARDEN FINCHES
October 2020
Researchers at the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) have noticed lower numbers of Siskin and Bullfinch using gardens across the first half of this year and are asking people to watch their bird feeders to help track these colourful garden visitors through the coming weeks...
