The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is an organisation founded in 1932 for the study of birds in the United Kingdom. It is an independent charitable body that relies on the efforts of volunteer birdwatchers to carry out its ornithological surveys. The BTO aims to advance our understanding of ornithology and use that knowledge to influence policy-makers and inform decisions affecting bird populations.
What does the BTO do?
The BTO carries out a range of activities focused on bird monitoring, recording and research. Some of their key activities include:
- Organising nationwide surveys – The BTO runs large-scale surveys across the UK to monitor bird populations and distributions. These include the Breeding Bird Survey, the Wetland Bird Survey, the Nest Record Scheme and the Ringing Scheme.
- Managing long-term datasets – The BTO maintains several long-term datasets based on bird records submitted by volunteers. These track changes in birds over time and allow the detection of population trends.
- Publishing research – The BTO publishes its findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals, books and via online resources. This contributes to scientific knowledge on bird ecology and conservation.
- Providing identification and training resources – The BTO produces guides, multimedia resources and training courses to help people develop bird identification skills and survey techniques.
- Working with partner organisations – The BTO collaborates with government agencies, NGOs, researchers and the public sector to deliver joint projects and provide scientific evidence to support policy-making.
- Engaging the public – The BTO raises awareness of birds and conservation through the media, outreach activities and citizen science projects that engage birdwatchers.
By carrying out these activities, the BTO generates scientific evidence on bird populations which supports their conservation and informs decisions affecting the environment. The BTO is internationally recognised as a leading organisation dedicated to ornithological monitoring and research.
BTO Surveys and Monitoring Programmes
The BTO runs some of the largest wildlife monitoring programmes in the world. Their nationwide surveys are made possible by the contributions of over 40,000 volunteer birdwatchers. Some key BTO surveys include:
Breeding Bird Survey
The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) monitors breeding bird populations across the UK through over 3,000 randomly located survey sites. It generates annual population trends for over 120 bird species. Started in 1994, it is the primary source of data on how widespread bird species are faring.
Waterways Breeding Bird Survey
This survey focuses specifically on birds breeding along canals, rivers and streams in Britain and Ireland. Volunteers walk a 1-2 km stretch of waterway and record the birds seen and heard. The data contributes to understanding bird population trends and conservation needs along waterways.
Wetland Bird Survey
This is the monitoring scheme for non-breeding waterbirds in the UK. Around 3,000 wetlands are counted by volunteers through the winter. The data charts the abundances and distribution of over 100 waterbird species and underpins their conservation management.
Ringing Scheme
The BTO Ringing Scheme started in 1909 and is the largest programme of its kind in the world. Over 900,000 birds are ringed each year by trained ringers. Recoveries of ringed birds provide data on survival rates, movements and migration patterns.
Nest Record Scheme
This scheme gathers vital data on the nesting success of Britain’s birds. Volunteer nest recorders monitor nests, recording information on clutch sizes, hatching and fledging success. The data assists research into factors affecting breeding productivity.
Heronries Census
The Heronries Census collects data on numbers of nests at breeding colonies of grey herons and other colonial nesting species across the UK. Started in 1928, it represents one of the longest-running annual surveys of a bird species population in the world.
BirdTrack
BirdTrack is an online citizen science project run by the BTO, RSPB and partner organisations. Birdwatchers record their daily bird sightings which contribute to monitoring bird distributions, movements and abundances throughout the year.
History and Background of BTO
The origins of the BTO stem from the idea of using ringed birds to study migration, proposed by Danish ornithologist Hans Christian Cornelius Mortensen in 1899. The British Ringing Scheme began in 1909, originally run by the British Ornithologists’ Union.
In 1932, the British Trust for Ornithology was formed to take over running the Ringing Scheme and further scientific research into bird migration and populations. Maximilian G. Ramsay, an ornithologist, was the BTO’s first Secretary.
In its early decades, the BTO focused heavily on bird ringing studies and analyzing recovery data. Over time, its research expanded into wider areas of ornithology including behavioural studies, breeding biology and population monitoring.
Some key milestones in the BTO’s history:
- 1939 – ‘Nest Record Scheme’ established to collect nesting data.
- 1953 – First national ‘Bird Census’ organised, a precursor to modern monitoring.
- 1966 – Headquarters established at The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk.
- 1994 – The Breeding Bird Survey launched, pioneering large-scale population monitoring.
- 2000 – ‘Ringing and Nest Recording Scheme’ changed to ‘Ringing Scheme’ and ‘Nest Record Scheme’.
- 2003 – Bird Atlas 2007-11 project commenced, the third breeding bird atlas.
- 2010 – Moved to The Lodge, Girton, Cambridge, the current headquarters.
From modest beginnings, the BTO has grown into a major research organisation advancing our knowledge of ornithology. Its surveys and scientific outputs have become ever more important for informing conservation efforts for birds.
How is the BTO Funded?
As an independent charity, the BTO receives no central government funding and has to self-finance its research through a diversified funding model. Its annual income is approximately £12 million. Income sources include:
- Membership subscriptions – Supporters pay to become BTO members.
- Legacies and donations – The BTO receives charitable donations and legacies from supporters.
- Contract research – Organisations pay the BTO to carry out commissioned research projects.
- Joint projects – The BTO works jointly with partners on projects with shared funding.
- Product sales – Income from sales of bird rings, publications, courses and merchandise.
- Licensing – Fees from commercial re-use of BTO data and intellectual property.
This multi-sourced funding base provides financial stability and allows the BTO to maintain its long-term monitoring programmes. While much bird research relies on short-term funding, the BTO can sustain consistent, standardised data collection over many decades, enabling robust analysis of bird population changes.
Organisation and People
The BTO is a membership organisation comprised of over 3,800 ornithologists and 40,000 volunteers contributing bird data. The main staffed and operational parts of the BTO are:
Board of Trustees
A Board of Trustees oversees the governance and strategic direction of the BTO. There are 14 Trustees including the BTO Chairman and Vice Chairman. Many Trustees are eminent ornithologists associated with leading scientific institutions.
Executive Team
Day-to-day management is carried out by the BTO Executive Team of around a dozen staff including the CEO, Head of Science and Head of Communications. They oversee core functions like science, surveys, publishing and fundraising.
BTO Staff
Approximately 100 people work full-time or part-time for the BTO. As well as managerial and support staff, there are ecologists, statisticians, ringers, researchers and survey organisers responsible for delivering the scientific programme.
Regional Representatives
A network of voluntary Regional Representatives promote the BTO locally and are the main contacts for BTO volunteers and members in their respective regions.
Volunteers
BTO volunteers are central to data collection for surveys. Without their contributions of time, skills and local knowledge, the BTO’s work would not be possible. Ringers, nest recorders, surveyors and researchers all devote huge amounts of effort to BTO ornithology.
Partnerships and Policy
The BTO works closely with partner organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors to deliver its ornithological research and conservation outcomes:
Joint Centre for Birds
The BTO jointly established the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology’s Centre for Birds alongside the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in 2011. This initiative supports collaborative science and evidence-gathering on pressing bird conservation issues.
Statutory Agencies
Key government bodies utilise BTO data to inform policy and conservation management. These include Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage, Natural Resources Wales, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, and Defra.
Bird NGOs
The BTO has close ties with bird and wildlife NGOs, supporting each other’s work. Partners include the RSPB, BirdLife International, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, and the Birds of Conservation Concern partnership.
Universities
Numerous university researchers collaborate with the BTO to advance ornithological science. BTO data often underpins student projects while BTO staff provide supervisory expertise.
Recent BTO Projects
Some significant BTO research projects carried out over the past decade:
Bird Atlas 2007-11
Fieldwork for the third national Bird Atlas was carried out between 2007-2011 in partnership with BirdWatch Ireland. Over 40,000 birdwatchers contributed records mapping the distribution and abundance of breeding and wintering birds.
Birds of Conservation Concern
This programme reviews the status of all regularly occurring British birds and produces the British Red and Amber conservation listings – identifying species needing action. The latest review, BoCC4, was published in 2015.
BirdTrack
Launched in 2002, BirdTrack is a partnership project enabling birdwatchers to submit species sightings data online via the BirdTrack website and mobile apps. Over 150,000 observers now contribute millions of bird records to this citizen science initiative annually.
Urban Birds Project
Funded by the EU LIFE Nature Programme, this 10-year project ending in 2021 investigated responses of birds to urbanisation and assessed how urban biodiversity can be conserved in a sustainable manner.
Seabirds Count Census
The census in 2015 was a complete survey of breeding numbers of all seabird species around Britain and Ireland, from large gulls to auks. Over 15,000 seabird nests were counted, revealing population trends since the previous census in 2000.
BTO Publications and Resources
The BTO publishes a wealth of resources communicating its scientific findings to various audiences including scientists, birdwatchers and the general public:
Scientific Journals
Peer-reviewed papers and book chapters written by BTO staff regularly feature in top academic journals including Ibis, Bird Study, Ringing & Migration and the Journal of Ornithology.
BTO Research Reports
In-depth reports present findings from BTO projects and surveys. Over 400 titles have been published to date, covering all aspects of ornithological science. Print copies and/or free PDFs can be ordered online.
Birds Magazine
The membership magazine ‘Bird’ is published six times per year, covering latest scientific discoveries alongside practical birding advice and sightings news. All BTO members receive a copy. Digital editions are also available.
Books
The BTO has published many bird-related books over the decades including bird atlases, migration studies, identification handbooks, survey methods guides, ringing manuals and niche topics like bird nests.
Online Resources
The BTO website provides a wealth of free resources including survey results, ID guides, research summaries, statistics, ringing and nest recording info, blog posts and educational materials.
Importance of BTO Work
The BTO’s long-term, large-scale monitoring and research has made it an authoritative voice on the state of bird populations. Its scientific outputs have become vital to informing decisions and policies affecting birds and the environment:
- Population status assessments – BTO data underpins conservation status assessments identifying threatened birds needing action such as Birds of Conservation Concern.
- Site conservation -Trends for designated species at protected sites like SSSIs and SPAs are informed by BTO surveys.
- Development impacts – Environmental impact assessments utilise BTO data on local bird populations and distributions.
- Government targets – BTO evidence enables measuring progress against legislation and biodiversity indicators.
- Drivers of change – Findings on factors driving population changes, like climate change and agricultural intensification, guide appropriate conservation responses.
- Research gaps – The BTO identifies knowledge gaps to target future research priorities.
The BTO’s impartial scientific basis gives it unique authority. Its evidence provides an independent benchmark to assess policy effectiveness and guide decisions at national and international levels. As threats to biodiversity grow, the need for robust data becomes ever more critical.
Conclusion
For over 90 years, the BTO has pioneered ornithological monitoring and research, making it today’s pre-eminent organisation for studying birds in Britain and Ireland. Its nationwide surveys and scientific outputs have become essential evidence informing decisions around bird populations, underpinning their conservation.
The BTO’s independence, volunteer network and diversified funding base allow it to maintain large-scale long-term datasets tracking bird populations over decades. These robust data are vital to identify population trends and understand the factors driving change in the natural world.
As environmental pressures grow, informed decision-making based on sound science has never been more important. With the dedication of staff, supporters and 40,000 volunteers, the BTO looks set to continue advancing ornithological knowledge and applying it for the benefit of birds and society.