BTO publishes various reports, from those covering the annual results of core surveys, through scientific studies, and on to those produced in partnership with other organisations. Many of these are published as BTO Research Reports. You can access all of our reports from here, though note that we are currently updating the reports section, working backwards through time to bring all of the report pages into a consistent format. You can read our Annual Report and Accounts in the Governance section.
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Modelled changes to seabird presence and abundance across the MarPAMM region in response to predicted changes in climatic and oceanographic variables
Author: Bennett, S., Rhoades, J., Boersch-Supan, P., Humphreys, E.M., Davies, J. & Upton, A.
Published: 2025
As part of the suite of work for the BTO Northern Ireland Science Plan 2023—2028 for DAERA/NIEA, BTO was asked to provide an analysis and associated report to investigate climate change related change in seabird populations in and around Northern Ireland. In this report, we update previously estimated projections of change in seabird populations (Davies et al. 2023) based on newly available datasets, including data from Seabirds Count and updated NEMO and C3S oceanographic data. We also discuss the reliability of existing Interreg VA/MarPAMM projected changes, and the likely extent to which climate change is already driving alterations to seabird abundance. Overall, the population of seabirds in the Interreg VA/MarPAMM region is predicted to decline in presence and abundance by 2050 under climate change.
10.06.25
Research reports Research reports
Waterbirds in the UK 2023/24
Author: Calbrade, N.A., Birtles, G.A., Woodward, I.D., Feather, A., Hiza, B.M., Caulfield, E.B., Balmer, D.E., Peck, K., Wotton, S.R., Shaw, J.M. & Frost, T.M.
Published: 2025
The report provides a single, comprehensive source of information on the current status and distribution of waterbirds in the UK for those interested in the conservation of the populations of these species and the wetland sites they use.Key stories from this report include more updates on avian influenza affecting migratory Barnacle Goose and Mute Swan, as well as a focus on the latest WeBS Alerts, looking at how wintering waterbirds are doing in protected areas.View the press release for this report
22.05.25
Reports Waterbirds in the UK
The Breeding Bird Survey 2024
Author: 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.
Published: Spring 2025
These are the main schemes for monitoring the population changes of the UK’s widespread breeding birds, providing an important indicator of the health of the countryside.The results are published annually as Official Statistics and used widely by Defra and the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies (SNCBs, e.g. Natural England and NatureScot) to set priorities and to inform conservation action, and as the evidence base against which the UK’s biodiversity targets are measured.BBS data are also routinely used in research, with recent examples including peer-reviewed papers published in 2022 and 2024 which measured the efficacy of the UK’s network of protected areas in supporting wildlife.The 2024 Breeding Bird Survey Report highlights the continuing decline of some farmland species and more recent declines of woodland birds, at least in England. In Scotland, there is a focus on upland birds, where an all-species indicator using BBS data shows a 20% decline since 1994. In Wales, there are mixed fortunes, with species like House Sparrow bucking the downward trend seen in England, whilst Curlew are in severe decline, as they are elsewhere in the UK. Some songbirds in Northern Ireland, such as Blackbird are doing comparatively well compared to the wider UK trend.We thank nearly 3,000 skilled and dedicated volunteers who give their time to BBS and WBBS and make the monitoring of the UK’s breeding birds possible.Download the 2024 reportOr, browse all editions of the Breeding Bird Survey Report >
15.05.25
Reports BBS Report
Scientific support to the trial of Spoor AI at the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre
Author: Brighton, C.H., Clarke, J.A. & Boersch-Supan, P.H.
Published: 2025
This report assesses the capability of a Spoor AI camera system with both mono-vision (single-camera) and stereo-vision capabilities for bird monitoring deployed at the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre in Aberdeen Bay using both theoretical considerations and onshore and offshore field trials.
25.04.25
Research reports Research reports
A review of existing methods to collect data on seabird flight height distributions and their use in offshore wind farm impact assessments
Author: Feather, A.P., Burton, N.H.K., Johnston, D.T. & Boersch-Supan, P.H.
Published: 2025
This document presents a review of existing methods for collecting seabird flight height data and their potential to produce flight height distributions that might be used in CRMs. The strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of different methods are identified and sources of measurement and sampling error, uncertainty and bias assessed. Best practice recommendations are provided for prominent methods and how data might be best utilised to inform stakeholders is considered.
15.04.25
Research reports Research reports
