Press releases
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...
Wader expert wins top ornithological award
October 2020
Dr Jennifer Smart of Norfolk has been awarded the prestigious Marsh Award for Ornithology by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) for her work in the conservation of breeding waders like lapwing, redshank and black-tailed godwits...
‘Puffarazzi’ scientist wins prestigious award
October 2020
Dr Ellie Owen of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has been awarded the Marsh Award for Innovative Ornithology by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)...
Scottish Ornithologists’ Club recognised with prestigious award
October 2020
The Marsh Award for Local Ornithology has been awarded to the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) for its innovative ‘Where to Watch birds in Scotland’ app...
Glasgow youngster wins top ornithology award.
October 2020
Michael Sinclair, of Glasgow, has been awarded the Marsh Award for Young Ornithologist by the British Trust for Ornithology...
Swiss scientist receives prestigious international award
October 2020
Verena Keller of the Swiss Ornithological Institute (SOI) in Sempach has been awarded the Marsh Award for International Ornithology by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)...
New patronage to support BTO communities and engage people with the natural world
October 2020
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has today announced that His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge has become Patron of the BTO, assuming the patronage from His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh who has held the role for over 30 years...
Hidden world of mice, voles and shrews revealed by new approach.
December 2020
Thanks to the efforts of a team of researchers, the hidden world of Britain's mice, voles and shrews has just been opened up to new audiences...
Drones can be a source of disturbance to wintering waterbird flocks
September 2020
Newly published research, carried out by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) in Scotland, shows that wintering waterbirds, such as ducks, geese, swans and wading birds can easily be scared into flight by drones...
Do you have birds nesting in your garden?
April 2020
As the nationwide lockdown continues, many of us are watching the wildlife in our gardens more closely than ever before...
Northern Ireland’s seabirds get an annual health check.
March 2020
2019 produced a mixed bag for Northern Ireland’s seabirds but confirmed the importance of the country’s coastline for its 22 breeding seabird species...
