The British Trust for Ornithologists (BTO) is the self-proclaimed ‘go-to organisation for information on the UK’s birds’. The heart of BTO focuses on three key areas: birds, science, people. They work to secure a better future for birds and nature, using science, monitoring and data to inform good environmental decisions, inspiring others with the wonder of birds and empowering them to work with BTO and other professions to continue advancing knowledge of British birds. The name ‘British Trust for Ornithology’ was coined by Max Nicholson, and first used in 1933, with Max being one of a group of four ornithologists who set in motion the formation of the Trust. Today, they run multiple projects throughout the year and work with a wide network of professionals, organisations and volunteers to continue researching birds within the UK.
One of those projects is currently ongoing. The Winter Bird Survey is running through winter 2025/26 (from September until April), collecting important information on the numbers and distribution of the UK’s wintering birds. This information will help BTO to inform land management approaches so they better benefit birds, as well as provide valuable data on where the wintering birds of the UK settle and/or migrate across.
The Winter Bird Survey covers a single season, collecting important information on the numbers and distribution of the UK’s wintering birds. This project was also ran in 2018/2019, however the 2025/2026 survey will cover survey squares across the UK and a wider range of habitats. Aside from winter birds in general, there is comparatively little data on the UK’s birds outside of the breeding season. The Winter Bird Survey will provide important insights into winter bird abundance and distribution, and how these are related to land management practices, especially Agri-Environment Schemes and Agri-Environment and Climate Schemes.
Volunteers are being requested across the country to take a square of land and to monitor this throughout the season. If you do wish to become a volunteer, you need to be able to identify all the bird species that are likely to be encountered in your 1-km survey square during the non-breeding season. You also need to be comfortable in your ability to estimate the numbers and species composition of potentially large flocks, particularly of passerines on farmland. There are a number of resources available on the BTO website to help with identification of different species, but the survey is largely self guided. There is also the possibility to be able to monitor winter mammals as well should you wish to.
More information can be found here and it seems like a really interesting project to be a part of, especially if you are someone comfortable with science and enjoys getting out in nature more.
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