Scotland – its birds and birdwatchers

Scotland's bird life is quite different from that of the rest of the UK, characterised by birds typical of northern climes, some of them found in internationally important numbers. Its upland areas are rich in breeding waders and birds of prey. Its coasts and seas are home to spectacular seabird colonies. Its straths and glens retain ancient pine with Capercaillie, Crested Tits and Scottish Crossbill. There are birch and oak woods that hold Wood Warblers, Pied Flycatchers and Redstarts. Scotland holds all or most of the UK population of Sea Eagles and Corncrakes and is the key area in the UK for 23 of the 175 species listed on the EU Birds Directive. In winter Scotland provides refuge for waders and wildfowl on its wetlands, seaducks, divers and grebes on its coast and lowland farmland still supports wintering finches and buntings albeit in reducing numbers.



To survey these important birds in an area comprising 32% of the UK, there is only 9% of the UK's human population. Most of these people are concentrated in a few large conurbations in the central lowlands. There are huge areas that are relatively under-watched, particularly the uplands, the north and west coasts, all of which are scarcely populated, remote, and often inaccessible.

Birdwatchers in Scotland while relatively few, are very active and display a level of activity that belies their relatively small numbers. Numbers of birds ringed, coverage of surveys, numbers of nest record cards - almost any measure of participation in BTO work that you care to name - are well above the 9% that one would expect on the basis of population alone.

The BTO Scotland Initiative

BTO Scotland started operation on 28 February 2000. Its main functions are to promote the work of the BTO in Scotland, to develop wider coverage for surveys in Scotland, by encouraging greater participation in BTO survey work by Scottish birdwatchers, and to develop contract research income within Scotland. BTO Scotland ensures that the work the Trust does is not just related to the priorities of the UK as a whole but is also focused on the priorities of Scotland, with a landscape and wildlife so different from the rest of the UK.

The BTO Scotland Office does not take the place of the Regional Representatives in Scotland; it provides a point of contact closer to home. It provides support and encouragement them, to help them do their jobs better and further improve the work of BTO as a whole.

BTO Scotland is also building partnerships with universities, government agencies, voluntary bodies and amateur ornithologists. The work that these partnerships will achieve will allow conservationists and policy makers within Scotland to make sound decisions on policy and management for Scotland's birds.

Of course, to underpin our projects we have to find funds. Funding that originates in Scotland, is likely to be easier to obtain from the office of BTO Scotland than from the headquarters office in England.

BTO Scotland and The SOC

One of the main partnerships is with The SOC. The SOC has a membership of 2000 and are key partners in Scottish-wide bird surveys. For the first two years, the BTO Scotland office was at the SOC's Edinburgh headquarters, relocating to the grounds of Stirling University Campus when the SOC moved in Spring 2002. The BTO and SOC hold annual joint one day conferences each spring to promote survey work and amateur birdwatching.

Links

British Trust for Ornithology BTO