BTO | British Trust for Ornithology

A Sparrowhawk perches on a branch showing its barred underparts and yellow eye. Wording below reads: Can you help monitor raptors in Wales?

1/ We need you to help us monitor raptors in Wales! 🦅 You choose your survey patch, like the route you enjoy walking each week, and the raptors you want to record. It’s as easy as that! Find out more and take part ➡️ bit.ly/CudyllCymru #BirdingWales

Siskins 😀 They typically spend time feeding high in tree tops, noisily chattering away like this. Linnets do also flock together but are more likely to be found in weedy fields and other similar places.

Hi Charlotte, it's hard to be sure, but it looks as though this bird is fluffing up its feathers to keep warm... perhaps there had been a drop in temperature? It could potentially be unwell, but we can't really tell for certain from the picture.

New British and Irish bird atlas announced for 2027 A new bird atlas for Britain and Ireland has been announced by five conservation organisations. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), BirdWatch Ireland, the RSPB, Scottish Ornithologists' Club (SOC) and Welsh Ornithological Society (WOS) have come together to begin work on Bird Atlas 2027-31.

A new bird atlas for Britain and Ireland has been announced by five conservation organisations:

3/ Her adventurous spirit never dulled, as in 1960, at the age of 70, she drove from Durban to Nairobi with the ornithologist Violet Maxse! Thanks for continuing to inspire us Clemence! 😀

BTO holds Clemence’s lantern slides and glass plate negatives in the Archives.

2/ 🐦 Served as a voluntary warden at the RSPB reserves of Havergate Island and Minsmere.
🐦 Was elected a Member of the British Ornithological Union (BOU) in 1928.
🐦 Was made a life member of the Zoological Photographic Society in 1958 after first being elected in 1926.

A black and white image of Clemence Acland holding a camera as she wades through a waterbody in the Camargue.

A black and white image of Clemence Acland standing on a platform, working with camera gear as she prepares to photograph Flycatchers.

1/ We’re delving into the BTO Archives to celebrate Clemence Acland (1889-1973) for #InternationalWomensDay 🙌

Clemence was a dedicated bird photographer and ⬇️ 🧵

A short-eared Owl perches on a post. Wording alongside reads: Free Zoom Session. Meet the BTO (focusing on the geographical area around BTO HQ). Monday 16 March, 7pm - 8.45pm.

Do you live close to BTO HQ in Thetford, Norfolk? If you do and would like to find out more about the birdlife in your local area, why not sign up to take part in our ‘Meet the BTO’ Online Session on Monday 16 March?

Register before Friday 13 March ➡️ www.bto.org/our-work/eve... #NorfolkBirding

With spring migrants starting to arrive, our first migration blog of the spring looks at what's been reported so far and what to look out for in the rest of March #ukbirding

www.bto.org/our-work/new...

Photo: Sand Martin by Liz Cutting / BTO

3/ If you want to help, stay tuned for updates as fieldwork will start in November 2027.

2/ The Bird Atlas 2027–31 is a landmark project to survey bird species across Britain and Ireland. Supported by thousands of volunteer surveyors, the data collected shows where species are, how they are faring and those most in need of conservation action.

BirdWatch Ireland CEO Andrew Kelly & BTO CEO Juliet Vickery are sitting at a table outside smiling as they get ready to sign a partnership agreement for the Bird Atlas 2027–31.

RSPB Chief Executive Beccy Speight & BTO CEO Juliet Vickery are sitting together at a table in the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge holding pens ready to sign a partnership agreement for the Bird Atlas 2027–31.

BTO CEO Juliet Vickery & Scottish Ornithologists Club President Ruth Briggs are sitting at a table smiling and holding pens ready to sign a partnership agreement for the Bird Atlas 2027–31.

BTO CEO Juliet Vickery & Welsh Ornithological Society Chair Anne Brenchley are sitting at a table together looking down and holding pens as they get ready to sign a partnership agreement for the Bird Atlas 2027–31. Wildlife and nature themed artwork hangs on the wall behind them.

1/ Five leading charities forge partnership for bird conservation for the Bird Atlas 2027–31! 🐦 But what is the Bird Atlas? ⬇️🧵 #Ornithology

@btobirds.bsky.social @birdwatchireland.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @birdsinwales.bsky.social

Spring has begun... over the last week we have received 35 reports of Sand Martins, seven of Swallow, four each of Wheatear and House Martin, and two Red-rumped Swallows! #ukbirding

Lifted by Birds - RHS Malvern

Delighted to announce a new collaboration!

🐦“Lifted by Birds”, informed by BTO Garden BirdWatch, debuts at RHS Malvern Spring Festival (7–10 May). It turns bird-monitoring evidence into design, based on how #birds really use gardens.🌱

An image of a male Greenfinch. It has an olive green body, some yellow on its wings and a sturdy, flesh coloured beak.

(1/) The twittering, wheezy song of Greenfinch can now be heard in many areas. It is sometimes combined with a display flight, where males fly around in circles whilst they deliver their song. @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social #Ornithology #CitizenScience

6/ Frederic has now left the shores of Lake
Mai-Ndombe and over four days has moved 319 miles, crossing into northern Republic of the Congo. From here he may head west straight into Cameroon, or via southern Central African Republic.

5/ After a few months in Gabon, Jim has moved around 1,367 miles west into Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). He’s in Comoé National Park, which is a designated Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

4/ After a short stay in Cameroon, Joe moved around 808 miles west into Ghana. He is currently in an area of wooded savannah close to a stretch of the Black Volta River, east of Bui National Park.

3/ Sayaan is moving through Cameroon and is south of the town of Bélabo, close to the Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Centre. Tagged at Knepp Estate, Sussex in 2023, this will be the third year that we may track his spring migration.

2/ Cuckoo Arthur made movements in January from Gabon into northern Equatorial Guinea. He then continued west, across Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana, before finally making a stop in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) on a journey exceeding 1,367 miles!

A map shows the locations of BTO satellite tagged Cuckoos in Africa. The headshots of four Cuckoos appear in circular frames around the map, alongside the wording: First Cuckoo Update for 2026.

1/ And they’re off! 📢 Our BTO satellite-tagged Cuckoos are on the move! 🌍

Follow their migrations via our interactive map ➡️ www.bto.org/cuckoos #Ornithology 🪶

A crowd is seated listening to a BTO staff member talking at the first Welsh Raptor Convention.

Read about our experience at our first Welsh Raptor Convention in our latest blog ➡️ www.bto.org/our-work/new...

Darllenwch am ein profiad yn ein Confensiwn Adar Ysglyfaethus Cymru gyntaf yn ein blog diweddaraf.

Thanks so much for joining us Layla and your work supporting BTO!

A PowerPoint slide showing an ornithologist about to abseil down a sea cliff, with the speaker and some of the audience also visible.

The final PowerPoint slide of the 2026 BTO conference with the speaker and some of the audience also visible.

#BTOConference2026 was an excellent day of "birds, science and people", opened brilliantly by Ieuan Evans, and perfectly closed by James Pearce-Higgins.

Lots of hard work goes into making this sort of event such a success; it was a great credit to the @btobirds.bsky.social team.

Thanks for joining us Paul, and sharing your feedback!

Photograph of BTO Conference attendees & staff during tea break

We’re heading into the final sessions of the afternoon at the BTO Annual Conference here in Northampton - it’s been a really great day!
Thanks to all the speakers for their inspirational & enlightening talks, and to all the attendees for their energy & enthusiasm!

#BTOAnnualConference2026

Photo of the audience gathered at the BTO Annual Conference in Northampton

A great start to the day here at the BTO Annual Conference in Northampton!
We have a packed day ahead, and we’re looking forward to chatting to so many members and supporters.

British Birds packing for the BTO conference 2026. Caption reads: See you there!

We’re excited to be at the @btobirds.bsky.social conference tomorrow and look forward to learning about all the great research underway and the upcoming monitoring work planned.

#BTOConference2026 #ornithology #research

Collage featuring two images of birds and text. In one image there are two Puffins on a rocky surface, one with a bill of fish. The second features a Wren with its bill open as it sings while perched in a bush full of blossom flowers. A quote features reads: “Quite simply the best investment you can make into researching and conserving birdlife.” Fabienne, BTO Member. Wording in a separate box reads: Join us today.

Discover the power to make a difference. For just £3 a month you can help support our work to build a brighter future for birds and people – all while enjoying exclusive member benefits and content!

Join today ➡️ www.bto.org/support-...

Hi Jonny, if you’re having trouble locating the scheme on C-R Birding, you could look through the IWSG colour mark register or email colourmark@waderstudygroup.org directly who coordinate all wader colour mark schemes in Europe - www.waderstudygroup.org/projects/col...