BTO Blog | BTO - British Trust for Ornithology

Skip to main content

RSS BTO Blog

The BTO blog offers comment and perspective from a wide range of BTO staff and supporters, giving context and inviting discussion on various aspects of BTO's work. Read our series of posts by Young Birders and our seasonal migration blog posts. Don't forget to visit the Demography Blog (Demog Blog) for Ringing and Nest Recording stories, and follow our Cuckoo Blogs (part of our Cuckoo Tracking Project).

Blogs on specific topics

Demography Blog

Our Demog blog features latest news and stories from the BTO’s Ringing and Nest Recording teams, along with some fascinating contributions from blog followers.

Migration Blog

Spring and autumn are exciting times of year as migrant birds arrive in and depart from Britain. In the Migration Blog, we make predictions about when to expect interesting migrant arrivals.

Young Birder Blog

A series of blogs were we invite young birders to share their experiences of birding and participating in BTO surveys.

Bee-eater. David Tipling / birdphoto.co.uk

Juliet Vickery

Featured blog post

A future with EDI in mind: a note from Juliet

30 Jun 2022

BTO's CEO Juliet reflects on the responsibility to improve our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Blog Series

Rock Dove image from a trail camera. Will Smith

Wild Rock Doves: solving a genetic enigma

BTO ringer and DPhil student Will Smith writes about his latest research into the distinctions between wild Rock Doves and the Feral Pigeon.

30 Jun 2022

Nunnery Lakes Nature Reserve. Sophie Bennett

Avoiding tunnel vision during a PhD

Sophie Bennett reflects on her recent three month placement at the BTO and the value of taking a step back from a PhD.

28 Jun 2022

Eider. Tom Cadwallender / BTO

Belfast's Unsung Seabird

Despite the human hustle and bustle, Belfast Lough is at the heart of Eider conservation in Ireland. BTO's Senior Research Ecologist Kat Booth-Jones dives into research focused on this charismatic seabird.

20 Jun 2022

BirdTrack migration blog (mid-June- mid-July)

As we reach the halfway point of the year, migration has slowed dramatically but the breeding season continues apace.

15 Jun 2022

Cuckoo. Canva Pro

What have the Cuckoos taught us?

Prior to 2011, we knew very little about what the UK's breeding Cuckoos did once they left the UK for the winter months. Over a decade since the BTO Cuckoo Tracking Project was born, we reflect on the discoveries we've made.

13 Jun 2022

Birding 101

Both sides of the camera

BTO Youth's Birding 101 events are part of a free training programme for young people, by young people. Lizzie, BTO Youth Representative and Birding 101 host, writes about their experience.

06 Jun 2022

BirdTrack migration blog (27th May - mid-June)

As summer approaches, the pace of migration slows; most species will be on their breeding grounds and raising their young.

26 May 2022

Migration blog (20th-26th May)

Like the temperatures across Britain and Ireland, the pace of migration has soared in the last week as more and more birds arrive to breed or stop off on their way to breeding grounds further afield.

19 May 2022

BBS Volunteer. David Tipling / BTO

Sustainability and citizen science: estimating the carbon footprint of the Breeding Bird Survey

BTO Data Scientist Simon Gillings explores the results of BTO's investigation into the carbon footprint of biodiversity monitoring.

18 May 2022

Grey Squirrel. John Harding / BTO

Tackling invasives: unpicking the definitions

BTO's Head and Principal Ecologist David Noble breaks down what we really mean by 'invasive species'.

16 May 2022

Birdtrack migration blog (13th-19th May)

A change in weather in the last week has seen migration ramp up with more birds arriving for the summer across Britain and Ireland.

12 May 2022

Silver-washed Fritillary. Liz Cutting / BTO

More than birds: a butterfly story

Steve Oates, a BBS volunteer, writes about his journey into butterfly conservation.

05 May 2022

Wind turbines, Melanie Kocheva/stock.adobe.com

Achieving global targets for renewable energy

BTO's Aonghais Cook discusses the challenges associated with an environmentally sensitive, socially just transition to global renewable power.

21 Apr 2022

BirdTrack migration blog (Mid-April - May)

With winter behind us, spring migration has begun to gather pace over the last few weeks. Summer migrants are arriving, while winter visitors depart for their breeding areas.

12 Apr 2022

Tree Sparrow. Philip Croft / BTO

Using bird ringing data to help target conservation management

Amidst widespread declines, how can we ensure conservation is targeted and effective? Analysis of ringing data may be key to answering this question.

04 Apr 2022

Hen Harrier. Alicia Hayden

Exploring Birds through Art

Alicia Hayden, BTO Youth Advisory Panel member, writes about her love of birds and art, and how they coalesce in her growing portfolio.

21 Mar 2022

Cetti's Warbler. Tony Cox

26 Years as a BBS Volunteer

As 2022's BBS approaches, volunteer John Gibson reflects on his journey into BTO and the 26 years of BBS at his local patch in Wigan which followed.

14 Mar 2022

Tajo Figuras. Reproduced from Breuil & Burkitt (1929 Rock Paintings of Southern Andalusia. Oxford University Press)

A Word with Tim Birkhead

BTO Youth Rep Jasmine Canham sits down with Tim Birkhead to talk about the inspiration and ideas behind his new book, Birds and Us.

01 Mar 2022

Sunflowers. Nicholas Watts

Six Decades of Farming for Nature

Our CEO Juliet sits down with Vine House Farm founder Nicholas Watts to unpack his passionate support for wildlife-friendly farming.

25 Feb 2022

Marsh Harrier. Photograph by Sarah Kelman (Bird Photographer of the Year image)

Birding 101 challenges young people to explore birds through written art

BTO Youth’s online training programme Birding 101 is a series of free, virtual sessions for young people to learn all about birding in the UK. It has been a huge success so far, with over 100 young people from across the UK engaging in multiple sessions. These sessions have provided a safe space for young people to celebrate their passion for birds, share their experiences and develop their knowledge and skills.

25 Feb 2022

Pages

Related content

Nunnery Lakes Nature Reserve. Sophie Bennett

Avoiding tunnel vision during a PhD

Sophie Bennett reflects on her recent three month placement at the BTO and the value of taking a step back from a PhD.

Skylark. John Harding

Making the most of BirdTrack data

We have been working to produce useful summaries for bird reports using data from the millions of annual BirdTrack records.

Cuckoo 161318 portrait

Celebrating PJ