BTO publishes peer-reviewed papers in a wide range of scientific journals, both independently and with our partners. If you are unable to access a scientific paper by a BTO author, please contact us.
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Warming temperatures drive at least half of the magnitude of long-term trait changes in European birds
Author: McLean, N., Kruuk, L.E.B., van der Jeugd, H.P., Leech, D., van Turnhout, C.A.M. & van de Pol, M.
Published: 2022
Climate change is impacting wild populations, but its relative importance compared to other causes of change is still unclear. Many studies assume that changes in traits primarily reflect effects of climate change, but this assumption is rarely tested. This paper uses datasets from across Europe, including the BTO's Nest Record Scheme, to show that in European birds global warming was likely the single most important contributor to temporal trends in laying date, body condition, and offspring number. However, non-temperature factors were also important and acted in the same direction, implying that attributing temporal trends solely to rising temperatures overestimates the impact of climate warming. Differences among species in the amount of trait change were predominantly determined by these nontemperature effects, suggesting that species differences are not due to variation in sensitivity to temperature.
01.03.22
Papers
Extreme uncertainty and unquantifiable bias do not inform population sizes
Author: Robinson, O.J., Socolar, J.B., Stuber, E.F., Auer, T., Berryman, A.J., Boersch-Supan, P., Brightsmith, D.J., Burbridge, D.J., Burbridge, A.H., Butchart, S.H.M., Davis, C.L., Dokter, A.M., Di Giacomo, A.S., Farnsworth, A., Fink, D., Hochachka, W.M., Holwell, P.E., La Sprte, F.A., Lees, A.C., Marsden, S., Martin, R., Martin, R.O., Masello, J.F., Miller, E.T., Moodley, Y., Musgrove, A., Noble, D., Ojeda, V., Quillfeldt, P., Royle, J.A., Ruiz-Gutierrez, V., Tella, J.L., Yorio, P., Youngflesh, C. & Johnston, A.
Published: 2022
BTO staff co-author a rebuttal letter setting out the importance of the careful use and interpretation of citizen science data in estimating avian population sizes.
28.02.22
Papers
Impacts of COVID-19 restrictions on capacity to monitor bird populations: a case study using the UK Breeding Bird Survey
Author: Gillings, S., Balmer, D.E., Harris, S.J., Massimino, D. & Pearce-Higgins, J.W.
Published: 2022
Like many things, long-term monitoring of bird populations was interrupted during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Here, BTO scientists look at the effects of restrictions on participation in the Breeding Bird Survey during 2020 compared to previous years, and devise analytical methods to overcome the issues that emerged.
07.02.22
Papers Bird Study
An assessment of relative habitat use as a metric for species’ habitat association and degree of specialization
Author: O'Reilly, E., Gregory, R.D., Aunins, A., Brotons, L., Chodkiewicz, T., Escandell, V., Foppen, R.P.B., Gamero, A., Herrando, S., Jiguet, F., Kålås, J.A., Kamp, J., Klvaňová, A., Lehikoinen, A., Lindström, Å., Massimino, D., Jostein Øien, I., Reif, J., Šilarová, E., Teufelbauer, N., Trautmann, S., van Turnhout, C., Vikstrøm, T., Voříšek, P. & Butler, S.J.
Published: 2022
02.02.22
Papers
Large-scale citizen science survey of a common nocturnal raptor: urbanization and weather conditions influence the occupancy and detectability of the Tawny Owl Strix aluco
Author: Hanmer, H.J., Boothby, C., Toms, M.P., Noble, D.G. & Balmer, D.E.
Published: 2022
Prior to this study, most Tawny Owl population data was collected during daylight surveys for other species, or specialist, labour-intensive night-time surveys during the breeding season. The BTO Tawny Owl Calling Survey, however, harnessed the time and skill of thousands of volunteers to shed light on the impact of urbanisation on Tawny Owl populations, and used the data collected to develop the best methods for surveying these nocturnal raptors in the future.
01.02.22
Papers
