Press releases
Finches up and down in Northern Ireland
April 2018
The latest Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) report shows mixed fortunes for finches in Northern Ireland...
Welsh icon is back
April 2018
Synonymous with Wales, the latest results from the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) show that the Red Kite is well and truly back and here to stay...
Declining summer visitor doing well in Scotland
April 2018
In England the Spotted Flycatcher population has fallen by 18%, however, the latest results show that this enchanting little bird is on the up in Scotland – up by 66% during the last five years, giving Scotland something to shout about! Reasons behind the overall decline, which amounts to 39% across the whole of the UK since 1994 are unclear...
A northern powerhouse for UK songbirds
April 2018
The latest survey results show that Spotted Flycatchers and Willow Warblers are thriving north of the England-Scotland border, whilst struggling south of it...
BTO Heronries Census - 90 not out
March 2018
2018 marks the 90th anniversary for BTO’s longest running survey, which has been carried out annually since 1928, and represents, as far as anyone is aware, the longest running dataset for any breeding bird in the world...
Feed the birds? Scientists highlight risks of disease at garden bird feeders
March 2018
Collaborative 25-year ZSL/BTO study stresses importance of feeding while investigating evolving threats to wild birds Wild birds are at risk of a number of serious diseases at our garden bird feeders, according to a collaborative study led by scientists from international conservation charity ZSL (Zoological Society of London) and published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B...
Nationwide school science programme helps scientists discover effects of climate change on soils
March 2018
15,000 school children participate in ‘What’s under your feet?’ project to study soil in school grounds Research from ongoing study makes link for the first time that dry summers are affecting breeding birds, which rely on earthworms and other soil invertebrates for food Number of UK earthworms has declined massively during periods of dry weather Schools encouraged to participate in further digs this month and later in the year to further aid research This ongoing study, supported by EDF Energy and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), has been able to identify that dry summer weather may be putting some of our favourite bird species at risk as it triggers a significant drop in the number of earthworms and invertebrates in parts of the UK...
New wildlife guides to grow interest in the Brecks
March 2018
The first two books in a new series of guides to the wildlife of the East Anglian Brecks have just been published, thanks to the efforts of local conservation charities...
World's fastest bird making a comeback
March 2018
The latest population estimate, just published, shows that the breeding numbers of Peregrine Falcon in the UK have hit a historic high, with particularly large increases in England...
National Nest Box Week 2018
January 2018
Valentine’s Day 2018 will see the start of the 21st annual National Nest Box Week (NNBW), in which people across Britain are encouraged to put up a nest box and provide a family home for our birds...
Summer is winging its way towards Britain
January 2018
We can see summer coming from over 4,000 miles away as the first of BTO’s satellite-tracked Cuckoos begins to head north...
Britain's birds - winners and losers
December 2017
The 20th annual BirdTrends report from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), just published, gives the latest information on the winners and losers in the British countryside...
Biggest-ever influx of one of our smallest garden birds
December 2017
This November, Coal Tits were seen in over 70% of gardens, according to figures from the British Trust for Ornithology's (BTO) Garden BirdWatch (GBW)...
Report reveals the effect of a changing climate on the UK’s birds
December 2017
Many of our rare breeding birds are at a high risk of extinction in the UK, based on projections of how climate will become less suitable for these species Climate change will provide opportunities for some species while others will be more vulnerable Migratory birds are arriving in the UK earlier each Spring and leaving later each Autumn...
Does the early bird catch the caterpillar?
November 2017
The time that birds decide to breed has a strong impact upon the likely success of raising their young to independence...
Wind farms and biodiversity: are they on a collision course?
September 2017
A newly published study, funded by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI), has shown the potential vulnerability of birds and bats around the world to collide with wind turbines...
If you go down to the woods today
August 2017
Latest results from the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) show that everything might not be as it seems, with many of our woodland birds in trouble...
Managing change is the name of the game for nature conservation under a warmer climate.
July 2017
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Best summer ever for Hummingbird Hawk-moths?
July 2017
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Over-half of the world’s curlew and godwit species face extinction from habitat loss and other pressures.
March 2017
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A missing predator: Sparrowhawks absent from gardens this winter
February 2017
Sparrowhawk by Richard Winston It’s been a year of mixed fortunes for Sparrowhawk, with the highest recorded average counts in gardens last January, followed by the lowest-ever numbers for December, as reported by British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO) Garden BirdWatch survey...
Gull decline on Scottish island linked to decline in fishing discards
January 2017
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Sounding them out: a unique conservation tool for monitoring bush-crickets
January 2017
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Why are you still awake? Rise in Hedgehog sightings due to late start to winter
January 2017
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Breeding birds struggle with wet 2016
December 2016
Information collected by British Trust for Ornithology volunteers show that 2016 was a poor breeding season for many bird species, in part due to periods of heavy spring and summer rainfall...