Director, Science
James is a member of the Senior Leadership Team at BTO. He is responsible for providing strategic leadership of the organisation’s science.
James provides strategic oversight of BTO science, which encompasses both monitoring and research. BTO organises volunteer-based and professional surveys to assess changes in the abundance, distribution and demography of bird populations, and of selected non-avian taxa.
BTO also leads on the analysis of these data, conducting research to understand the causes of population change, and the processes that underpin observed ecological patterns, and to inform what is required to manage species and habitats sustainably.
In addition, James specifically leads BTO’s climate change research. This involves documenting the impacts of climate change on UK biodiversity, undertaking projections of the likely future impact of climate change on species’ distributions and abundance, and informing the development of climate change adaptation.
In recent years, James has led five multi-organisational climate change research consortia funded by Defra, Natural England and CCI, as well as many BTO projects. In 2014 CUP published Birds and Climate Change: Impacts and Conservation Responses, which he co-authored with Rhys Green. James has also written contributing papers for both MCCIP and LWEC climate change report cards.
From 2010-2014 James led the Population Ecology and Modelling team and was responsible for the BBS research programme, which not only informed potential improvements and additions to the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), but developed new modelling techniques to understand the drivers of population change, and to improve predictions of future abundance. James now chairs the Breeding Bird Survey Steering Group.
Prior to working at BTO, James worked in Scotland for RSPB for 11 years, leading a wide range of upland research projects.
Other Information
- Member of BTO’s HPAI Steering Group for avian influenza.
- On the board of Trustees and Conservation Advisory Committee of A Rocha UK.
- Honorary Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia.
- Member of Scientific Advisory Committee Expert Panel for SNH.
- Founding committee member of BES Climate Change Ecology Special Interest Group.
Jul 1994: BSc Honours Zoology (University of Nottingham)
Feb 2000: PhD Environmental Biology ‘The ecology of Golden Plovers Pluvialis apricaria in the Peak District.’ (University of Manchester)
Recent BTO Publications
- Border, J.A., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Hewson, C., Howard, C., Stephens, P.A., Willis, S.G., Fuller, R.A., Hanson, J.O., Sierdsema, H., Foppen, R.B.P., Brotons, L., Gargallo, G. & Baillie, S.R. Evaluating protected area coverage for migratory bird species across space and time 10.1038/s41467-025-57019-x View at journal website( DOI:10.1038/s41467-025-57019-x )
- Cook, A.S.C.P., Masden, E.A., Humphreys, E.M. & Pearce-Higgins, J.W. Cumulative barriers to renewable energy development: can we adjust our perspective and approach to benefit biodiversity? 10.1002/2688-8319.70010 View at journal website( DOI:10.1002/2688-8319.70010 )
- Macgregor, C.J., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Siriwardena, G.M., Wilson, M.W. & Robinson, R.A. Assessment of recent Hen Harrier population trends in England through population modelling View at journal website( DOI: )
- Johnston, D.T., Humphreys, E.M., Davies, J.G., Evans, T., Howells, R.J. & Pearce-Higgins, J.W. Current understanding of how climate change affects seabirds varies between regions and species in the North-East Atlantic 10.3354/meps14785 View at journal website( DOI:10.3354/meps14785 )
- 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. The Breeding Bird Survey 2024 View at journal website( DOI: )
- Duffield, S.J., Morecroft, M.D., Pearce-Higgins, J.W. & Taylor, S.D. Species- or habitat- based assessments of vulnerability to climate change? Informing climate change adaptation in special protection areas for birds in England 10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110460 View at journal website( DOI:10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110460 )
- 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. Impacts of highly pathogenic avian influenza on seabird populations in the North Sea are detectable in sea-watchers’ migration counts 10.1080/00063657.2024.2440826 View at journal website( DOI:10.1080/00063657.2024.2440826 )
- Brighton, C.H., Massimino, D., Boersch-Supan, P., Barnes, A.E., Martay, B., Bowler, D.E., Hoskins, H.M.J. & Pearce-Higgins, J.W. The benefits of protected areas for bird population trends may depend on their condition 10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110553 View at journal website( DOI:10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110553 )
- Lonero, I., Eddowes, M.J., Burgess, M.D., Pearce-Higgins, J.W. & Phillimore, A.B. Temperature sensitivity of breeding phenology and reproductive output of the Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) 10.1111/ibi.13376 View at journal website( DOI:10.1111/ibi.13376 )
- Sutherland, W.J. Bennett, C., Brotherton, P.N.M., Butchart, S.H.M., Butterworth, H.M., Clarke, S.J., Esmail, N., Fleischman, E., Gaston, K.J., Herbert-Read, J.E., Hughes, A., Kaartokallio, H., Le Roux, X., Lickorish, F.A., Newport, S., Palardy, J.E., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Peck, L.S., Pettorelli, N., Primack, R.B., Primack. W.E., Schloss, I.R., Spalding, M.D., ten Brink, D., Tew, E., Timoshyna, A., Tubbs, N., Watson, J.E.M., Wentworth, J.E., Wilson, J.D. & Thornton, A. A horizon scan of global biological conservation issues for 2024 10.1016/j.tree.2023.11.001 View at journal website( DOI:10.1016/j.tree.2023.11.001 )