BTO create and publish a variety of important articles, papers, journals and other publications, independently and with our partners, for organisations, government and the private sector. Some of our publications (books, guides and atlases) are also available to buy in our online shop.
Annual report of the Seabird Monitoring Programme
Seabird Population Trends and Causes of Change: 1986–2023
This report presents the latest seabird population trends in breeding abundance and productivity using data from the Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP).
The report documents changes in the abundance and productivity of breeding seabird species in Britain and Ireland from 1986 to 2023, and provides a detailed account of the 2021, 2022 and 2023 breeding seasons.
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A review of Curlew headstarting projects in Europe
Author: Ewing, H. Bowgen, K.M., Burton, N.H.K., Saunders, R., Perkins, A., Gajko, A., O’Donoghue, B., Kala, B., Kerperin, C., Kelley, C., Heward, C.J., Krupiński, D., Nijs, G., Weber, H., Düttmann, H., Kruckenberg, H., Deiting, J., Thiess, L., Szajda, M., Maluśkiewicz, M., Boschert, M., Obłoza, P., Tüllinghoff, R., Kelly, S.B.A., Grigg, T. & Franks, S.E.
Published: 2025
Breeding waders are among the most threatened of European bird species and the focus of a suite of conservation interventions, such as the improvement of grassland nesting habitats, and the protection of nests and chicks from predators and destruction by agricultural activities. Headstarting is a relatively novel technique in breeding wader conservation, where eggs are removed from the wild and reared in carefully controlled environments. It aims to bypass the threats individuals encounter during vulnerable early life stages in the wild. Headstarting differs from more traditional forms of captive rearing, in that individuals only remain in captivity for a small part of their life cycle (generally egg and hatchling stages) and are released once at a less vulnerable stage to provide a quick, artificial boost to the breeding productivity of a wild population.
01.04.25
Papers
Northern Ireland Seabird Report 2024
Author: El Haddad, H. & Upton, A.J.
Published: 2025
This report includes detailed information about the population trends and breeding success of seabirds in Northern Ireland, over the 2024 breeding season. Monitoring reports for Strangford Lough and the Outer Ards are included, as well as several additional contributor articles.
27.03.25
Reports Northern Ireland Seabird Report
Macroecological rules predict how biomass scales with species richness in nature
Author: Pigot, A.L., Dee, L., Richardson, A.J., Cooper, D., Eisenhauer, N., Gregory, R.D., Lewis, S., Macgregor, C.J., Massimino, D., Maynard, D., Phillips, H.R.P., Rillo, M., Loreau, M. & Haegeman, B.
Published: 2025
This study identifies a new fundamental rule governing how ecosystems are assembled, revealing how and why biomass increases with the number of species, whether this be the mass of fish on a coral reef, earthworms in the soil or birds in the sky.
20.03.25
Papers
Assessment of recent Hen Harrier population trends in England through population modelling
Author: Macgregor, C.J., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Siriwardena, G.M., Wilson, M.W. & Robinson, R.A.
Published: 2025
This study uses a population modelling approach to explore the effects of changes in rates of productivity, survival, and settlement on population growth in the English population of Hen Harriers.
14.03.25
Research reports Research reports
Post-fledging movements in an elusive raptor, the Eurasian Goshawk Accipiter gentilis: scale of dispersal, foraging range and habitat interactions in lowland England
Author: Henderson, I., Barton, M., Field, A., Husbands, R., Jones, G., Armour-Chelu, N. & Conway, G.J
Published: 2025
GPS tracking of young Goshawks in lowland England reveals the movements and habitat use of this species, how these characteristics differ between the sexes, and how they change over the birds’ early lives.
14.03.25
Papers
