Press releases
Smartbirds - understanding how gulls behave through high-tech backpacks
October 2016
In a bid to understand how the amber-listed Lesser Black-backed Gull behaves around offshore wind farms, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has partnered with DONG Energy to carry out a study of the species off the Cumbrian coast...
The Martin Garner Spurn Young Birder of the Year
September 2016
Fifteen year-old George Dunbar, from Cheshire, was named Martin Garner Spurn Young Birder of the Year, at the 2016 Spurn Migration Festival, ahead of four other young finalists and thirty young birders who entered this year's competition...
British Trust for Ornithology Press Statement - Pennine Grouse Moor survey report
August 2016
A bird survey that was reported to have taken place on a managed grouse moor in the Pennines has been widely quoted in the media this week...
Forget Boaty McBoatface – Flappy McFlapperson is on the move
July 2016
Named as part of a competition by schoolchildren at the Dulwich International School in Beijing, China, Flappy McFlapperson is a satellite tag wearing Cuckoo that is helping the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and Chinese scientists gather information on Beijing’s Cuckoos...
Satellite-tracking study links population declines to Cuckoo's choice of migration route
July 2016
A study tracking the migrations of Common Cuckoos with tiny satellite tags, carried out by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) over the past five years, has made a series of stunning discoveries...
A Devon Cuckoo Needs a Name
July 2016
A Cuckoo, recently fitted with a satellite tag in Devon by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) in order to track its migration to and from Africa, currently goes by the endearing name of Cuckoo 161319...
A Hampshire Cuckoo needs a name
July 2016
Two Cuckoos have recently been fitted with satellite tags in Hampshire by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) in order to track their migration to and from Africa...
Tagging unlocks the secret lives of St Ives’ gulls
July 2016
A newly-published paper in Ringing & Migration, the journal of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Ringing Scheme, explains how state-of-the art GPS tags have unlocked the secrets of four Herring Gulls nesting on the rooftops of St Ives, Cornwall, a seaside resort where gulls can be unpopular with residents and visitors alike during the summer months...
Welsh Yellowhammers in long-term decline
July 2016
Since 1994, Yellowhammer numbers have declined by 57% in Wales...
Winning Willow Warblers
July 2016
A population increase of 73% between 1995 and 2014 has been revealed for the Willow Warbler in Northern Ireland in the latest Breeding Bird Survey report...
Scotland's warblers doing well
July 2016
In the latest Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) report – released today – Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Whitethroat show large, long-term population increases in Scotland...
Turtle Dove population in a tailspin
July 2016
The latest Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) report published today has revealed that Turtle Dove numbers have hit a new low, declining by 93% since 1994...
Cuckoo class of 2016 Backpack carrying birds helping to help save their own kind
June 2016
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Work begins on the Nunnery Lakes Discovery Trail in Thetford thanks to Tesco’s Bags of Help campaign
June 2016
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has started work on its Nunnery Lakes Discovery Trail project in Thetford following its successful award of £12,000 from Tesco’s Bags of Help campaign...
Calling all young birders
June 2016
As part of the Spurn Bird Observatory Trust (SBOT) 2016 Migration Festival, SBOT, the Next Generation Birders (NGB) and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) are running a competition to find the Observatory’s Young Birder of The Year...
Want to attract Goldfinches? Sunflower hearts are the answer!
June 2016
Goldfinches are being seen at garden bird feeders in ever-greater numbers, and the key attraction for them is sunflower hearts, according to an investigation into the increase of this colourful garden visitor...
The sad demise of Stanley
June 2016
In May 2014, Stanley the Cuckoo had a satellite tag fitted by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), joining a cohort of birds that would hopefully provide information to help to slow down, or reverse the dramatic decline the species is experiencing...
Unusual number of birds in gardens during April cold snap
May 2016
At this time of year most birds are starting to think about raising young, and many head out of gardens for that purpose...
Great Cuckoo Expectations
April 2016
Seven satellite-tagged Cuckoos have started to make their way home, having spent the winter in Africa...
Poor weather hits garden birds
March 2016
With the British Trust for Ornithology's (BTO) Garden BirdWatch results now published for 2015, we can see the full impact last year’s wet spring had on our garden birds...
Help needed for House Martins
March 2016
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is calling on members of the public to follow and record the nesting activity of House Martins this summer, to help understand why it is in trouble...
Cheating Cuckoo scoops book award
March 2016
‘Cuckoo: Cheating by Nature’, written by Professor Nick Davies FRS and published by Bloomsbury Publishing, has just been announced as the winner of the BB/BTO Best Bird Book of the Year 2015...
People in southern Scotland asked to go batty
March 2016
Very little is known about some of the bats to be found in southern Scotland but all that is about to change, thanks to an ambitious project that will enlist the help of people in the area...
Schoolchildren unearth interesting playing field results
March 2016
Since the summer of 2015 1,606 schools across the UK have taken part in a survey to find out what is living under their feet, and how this affects the birds that depend on the wildlife that lives in our soil...
Shoppers vote for local charities to get bags of help
February 2016
Three local charities are to benefit from the 5p charge on carrier bags, but shoppers are to decide who gets what...
Britain needs more nest boxes
February 2016
National Nest Box Week 2016 - February 14th-21st Many of the UK’s birds will struggle to find a suitable nesting site for the breeding season...
Don't miss the Garden and Urban Wildlife Conference in Durham
January 2016
Featuring talks by experts from leading wildlife organisations including the British Trust for Ornithology, Durham Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation, the Garden and Urban Wildlife Conference will be an exciting day, exploring the importance of gardens for nature...
Tawny Owls missing from gardens
January 2016
This is the time of the year when Tawny Owls can be frequently heard, and even seen, in gardens...