Principal Data Scientist
Simon works with colleagues across BTO to provide strategic leadership, and analytical and design input, into the development of data products for internal and external audiences. In parallel, he leads the development of tools for acoustic monitoring of birds.
Simon’s main interests are in developing methods and applications that turn BTO data into accessible, robust and visually appealing products for different audiences and stakeholders. Through this, he aims to improve knowledge about bird populations and support conservation and management work.
- Recent examples include the revised BTO BirdFacts and interactive Trends Explorer.
He is keen to integrate different data to produce improved insights. For example, he produces BTO Data Reports to contribute to Environmental Impact Assessments.
In parallel, Simon works with BTO’s Stuart Newson to develop bioacoustic monitoring tools, which are implemented through the BTO Acoustic Pipeline. A thorough understanding of the identification of birds by flight calls led Simon to develop tools for automated species identification using machine deep learning.
Other Information
Simon is a keen birder and sound recordist, and regularly uses passive sound recording to monitor nocturnal bird migration. Simon maintains nocmig.com as a resource for others interested in starting to record nocturnal bird migration.
- BSc (Hons) Ecology, University of East Anglia, 1995
- PhD: Diurnal and nocturnal ecology of Golden Plovers Pluvialis apricaria and Lapwings Vanellus vanellus wintering on arable farmland, University of East Anglia, 2003
Recent BTO Publications
- Ashton-Butt, A., Gillings, S., Thurston, L., Wells, F., Wetherhill, A. & Newson, S.E. 2025. Farming in Project Landscapes – Turtle Dove Monitoring Project, 2024 Report. BTO Research Report 774:
- 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. 2025. The Breeding Bird Survey 2024. BTO Research Report 787
- Brighton, C.H., Gillings, S. & Massimino, D. 2025. Efficacy of methods for producing population trends of breeding waders from Breeding Bird Survey data. BTO Research Report 790:
- 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. 2024. The Breeding Bird Survey of the United Kingdom. Global Ecology and Biogeography 34: doi:10.1111/geb.13943
- 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. 2024. The Breeding Bird Survey 2023.
- Macgregor, C.J., Gillings, S., Balmer, D.E., Boersch-Supan, P.H., Harris, S.J., Hereward, H.F.R., Humphreys, E.M., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Taylor, R.C., Troost, G. & Atkinson, P.W. 2024. Impacts of highly pathogenic avian influenza on seabird populations in the North Sea are detectable in sea-watchers’ migration counts. Bird Study 71: 311-325 doi:10.1080/00063657.2024.2440826
- Clark, J.A., Gillings, S., Clark, N.A., Cole, K.B., Breese, G., Woods, J.L., Bellman, H.A. & Robinson, R.A. 2023. How important is it to standardise the measured mass of shorebirds weighed at varying intervals after capture?. Wader Study 130: 64-73 doi:10.18194/ws.00297
- 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. 2023. The Breeding Bird Survey 2022.
- Noble, D.G. & Gillings, S. 2023. Production of smoothed population trends when a key year of data is missing.. BTO Research Report 748: