Anyone fancy this role with our friends at SOC?

Great to hear you all had fun! 🙌

We've heard of a few Cuckoos showing up in Scotland in the last few days. Have you heard one yet?

Wheatear. Amy Lewis/ BTO

Due to high demand we've made a few more spaces available on free training events (both online and in-person) taking place in the next few weeks. If these spaces fill up but you're desperate to join then message us here. www.bto.org/about/where/...

The 2025 BBS Report is out today! Dedicated volunteers were out in force, and it was our second best year for coverage. The report highlights the differing fortunes of species in Scotland compared with England, with seven species increasing north of the border but decreasing further south.

A Blue Tit hangs from a tree branch appearing in the top of the image. Wording below reads: Garden BirdWatch. This spring, make your garden count.

Spring is an active time for garden birds. 🐦 By recording what species visit your garden each week, you can contribute to research on how populations are changing in the UK. 🪶 Just a few minutes, with little birding experienced needed.

Take part in BTO Garden BirdWatch ➡️ https://www.bto.org/gbw

A Great Tit perches on a rock. A quote from a BTO staff member features alongside and reads: “I will forever be grateful to BTO for giving me a place I can belong. For me, BTO stands for finding Belonging Through Ornithology.” BTO logo is top right of the image.

1/ For #WorldAutismAwarenessDay we asked some of the members of the BTO team who are on the Autism spectrum to share their experiences of working for the organisation.

At BTO we’re committed to becoming more inclusive, find out more about this work at www.bto.org/inclusivity

A close up image of the head of a Ring-necked Parakeet showing its bright green plumage and red bill. Wording alongside reads: Origin of the UK’s Ring-necked Parakeets finally revealed!

1/ Forget tales of escapees from the film set of The African Queen. Ignore rumours of Jimi Hendrix’s supposed liberation of a pair on Carnaby Street. Newly declassified documents from the Ministry Of Defence reveal how Ring-necked Parakeets colonised the UK through Operation Norwegian Blue! 😮 🪶

We have a new survey starting tomorrow! Why not give it a bash and record what's around your local green space?

If you find a ringed, tagged or dead bird while out exploring, you can find information on how to report it here: www.bto.org/get-involved...

The data from these recoveries hugely contribute to our work to better understand how seabirds interact with potential threats in their environment. 2/3

Common Guillemot being fitted with a leg ring and geolocator. Aberdeenshire, Summer 2025.

We've just had one of the geolocators we deployed on a Common Guillemot last summer returned by a local volunteer after the bird died in a seabird wreck this winter. We're so grateful to everyone who report rings and loggers on dead birds. 1/3

A Stonechat perches on a yellow flowering Gorse bush. Wording alongside reads: We're Hiring. Director of Country Operations. www.bto.org/jobs. BTO logo is top right of the image.

Great opportunity to join BTO as Director of Country Operations! Apply online ➡️ www.bto.org/jobs

📝 £68,199
📆 Full time, Permanent.
📍 Stirling, Scotland, but we would consider BTO Cymru or Northern Ireland offices for the right candidate.
🖥️ Hybrid.

Closing date: Tuesday 14 April. #Ornithology

There are online and face-to-face training opportunities on our website www.bto.org/about/where/... Drop us a message here if you're keen on an event that says it's full.

Breeding Bird Survey: Before your visit YouTube video by BTOvideo

(1/) The 2026 BBS season begins in a week’s time! In celebration of this, we are very pleased to share our new BBS videos. They are designed to tell people more about the survey, and how to take part in it: youtu.be/vBt-KH_TwqU @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social

Can you help?

White-tailed Eagle. Sarah Kelman/ BTO

BTO and SOC descending on Dundee for the Scottish Birdwatchers' Conference this weekend like:

A close up image of a Dandelion seedhead. Wording over the image reads: Phone photography walk. Cockshaugh Park, St Andrews. Saturday 28th March. 10:30-12:00. Open to 18-25-year-olds only! Free entry. bto.org/youth-events

New BTO Youth event! Want to learn about phone #photography? Book a FREE space on our upcoming wildlife walk hosted by Youth Rep Katie ➡️ www.bto.org/our-work/eve...

📆 Saturday 28 March, 10.30am to 12pm.
📝 Open to those aged 18-25.

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

Cuckoo. Edmund Fellowes/ BTO

Short-eared Owl (with a satellite tag). John Calladine/ BTO

If you're in or around Dumfries and Galloway next week we'll be speaking to the SOC Dumfries branch on Wednesday evening and then at the Stewartry branch on Thursday. We'll be talking migration and tracking of some amazing birds!

A BTO stand at an event showing three BTO banners in the background and in the foreground a table with BTO magazines, leaflets and information about BTO's surveys and projects.

Today and tomorrow we're joining the Scotland's Nature Student Conference @scotnsconf.bsky.social at Stirling University @stir.ac.uk. It's a great chance to meet students from across Scotland and chat with them about BTO's work and opportunities to get involved. #SNSC2026

A Blue Tit perches on a branch showing its blue-green and yellow plumage and blue cap.

5/ Some very common and familiar birds have lovely descriptive names in Gaelic as well. The humble Blue Tit is ‘Cailleachag cheann-ghorm’ meaning ‘blue headed little old lady’.

A male and female Capercaillie in a snowy woodland.

4/ Capercaillie is derived from the Gaelic ‘Capall-coille’ meaning ‘horse of the woods’. Amongst the many weird and wonderful noises lekking male Capercaillie make is a popping noise which could have sounded like horse’s hooves in the forest.

3/ One of the remarkable things about Ptarmigan is their winter moult when they turn nearly fully white. Interestingly their Gaelic name in winter plumage is ‘Sneachdaire’ which is based on the word ‘sneachd’ meaning snow!

A Ptarmigan showing its barred brown-grey upper plumage and white belly with red patch above the eye.

2/ There are two birds whose common name is derived from Gaelic – Ptarmigan & Capercaillie. Ptarmigan was taken from the Gaelic name ‘Tàrmachan’ which translates as ‘the croaker’. If you’ve been lucky enough to hear the males croaking call across a high corrie you’ll know why they got this name.

A Ptarmigan in winter plumage showing white feathers.

1/ To celebrate Seachdain na Gàidhlig / World Gaelic Week we’ll be sharing some interesting bits and pieces connecting birds with the Gaelic language. 🐦

Airson Seachdain na Gàidhlig am-bliadhna bidh sinn a’ roinn cuid de rudan inntinneach mu eòin agus a’ chàna.

Discover more ⬇️🧵

It's always nice at this time of year to get the email from the @birdtrack.bsky.social team with a summary of your BirdTrack records for the previous year. It's a nice little motivator. Feel free to share yours below! #BirdingScotland

🚨 SOC/BTO Scottish Bird Camp 2026 is GO! Colonsay here we come....Head over to the SOC website to find out more: www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...

Image of an Arctic Skua with wording at the bottom that reads: New Study. Global population status of the migratory Holarctic species Arctic Skua. www.bto.org/Arctic-Skua-Populations. BTO logo top right.

1/ Arctic Skuas are on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red List. But new BTO-led research reveals just how much we don’t know about their numbers globally. Discover more. ⬇️ #Ornithology #Seabirds

📖 www.bto.org/Arctic-Skua-...

🦉🏕️ We'll launch the details and application for Scottish Bird Camp in the first week of February- keep your eyes peeled here or on the @scottishbirding.bsky.social pages! #BTOYouth #BirdingScotland