Links

Organisations associated with UK Rarities

British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) The BBRC is the official adjudicator of rare bird records in Britain. It publishes its annual report in the monthly journal British Birds. The website provides a variety of information on rare British birds.

British Ornithologists Union (BOU) The BOU is one of the world’s oldest and most respected ornithological organisations. It produces the British List and provides grants and bursaries for ornithological research.

British Birding Association UK400 Club The UK400 Club manages a database recording all records of vagrants, scarce migrants and rare breeding birds of Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic. The website provides bird identification articles and reviews.

Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) The Rare Breeding Birds Panel collects breeding data on the rarer species of birds breeding in the United Kingdom. In particular, its records allow the production of annual totals of breeding pairs for each species on its list. It was formed in 1972 by representatives of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the British Trust for Ornithology, The Nature Conservancy Council and British Birds. The present Panel is made up of representatives of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, RSPB, BTO, three independent members, and a Secretary.

Publications

Birding World Birding World is a monthly colour magazine available only on annual subscription. Birding World includes, authoritative and ground breaking identification articles by world experts and topical comment with hundreds of colour photographs and analytical captions.

Birdwatch Magazine Birdwatch is an independent magazine established in 1992 by birders for birders, it has grown to become the leading monthly news and features magazine at the enthusiast end of the market.

British Birds British Birds is published monthly and features ground-breaking articles on identification, distribution, migration, conservation and taxonomy. Contributors include both professionals and keen amateurs. Content is always abreast of current ideas and thinking, yet written in a clear and simple style that is easy to interpret.

Ibis The BOU’s international journal of avian science, publishing papers at the forefront of ornithological research. Available as free downloads.

Bird Information Services

BirdGuides BirdGuides offers up-to-the-minute news and views on British and Irish birds, comprehensive online and mobile reference and a huge photo library.

Bird Information Founded in 1992 Bird Information not only offer a traditional pager service, but also an advanced service to mobile phones, and a slick web service.

Rare Bird Alert Rare Bird Alert offer a whole host of different birdnews services to suit all kinds of birders from avid twitchers to those who just like to bird locally. They provide instant news in the field via pagers and mobile phones and online services via their website.

UK Bird Charities and Organisations

Bird Observatories Council The Bird Observatories Council co-ordinates and promotes the work of bird observatories at a national level. Individual observatories are located at prime migration points and it is a bird observatory's primary purpose to conduct long-term monitoring of bird populations and migration. An integral part of observatory work is bird ringing coordinated by the British Trust for Ornithology. Observatories enable and encourage volunteers to participate in scientific studies of birds. The results of these studies and more general information are made freely available to researchers and to the public.

British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) The BTO is an independent charitable research institute. Their long-term monitoring data on the status of UK birds sets the standard worldwide for understanding the effects of environmental change on wildlife. The combination of professional ecologists, long-term datasets some in excess of 50 years, and volunteers participating all over the country gives the BTO a unique, impartial and knowledgeable voice in nature conservation.

Hawk and Owl Trust The Hawk and Owl Trust is a national UK charity founded in 1969. It is dedicated to conserving owls and other birds of prey in the wild – and increasing knowledge and understanding of them. They create and manage nesting, roosting and feeding habitats; carry out practical research; and welcome visitors to our wildlife reserves, education centres and outreach projects.

Ring Ouzel Study Group The Ring Ouzel Study Group is a group of ornithologists who are particularly interested in ring ouzels, and who are most concerned at the long-term decline of the species in Britain. The group meets annually to hear about the latest research, share information and to discuss plans for the future. The aims of the group are; to provide a forum for the exchange of information and views, to positively influence research and conservation action, to facilitate and co-ordinate monitoring of the species and to promote a wider understanding of ring ouzels and the need for their conservation.

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) The RSPB owns and manages 200 nature reserves. They research the problems facing birds and the environment, looking for practical solutions that can be implemented on the ground, and promoted to others. They tackle international conservation issues through the Birdlife International Partnership and also tackle wildlife crime and habitat loss in the UK.

Scottish Raptor Study Groups Although appreciated by most people, and despite legal protection for over 50 years, raptors continue to be persecuted. Some species also remain at risk to egg collectors. SRSGs are dedicated to the monitoring and conservation of raptors. The re-colonisation of the Osprey and the re-introduction of White-tailed Eagle and Red Kite would not have been possible without the dedicated and selfless work of individuals. The first Raptor Study Groups were formed around 25 years ago. There are now over 250 members of groups, involved in studies on all diurnal raptors breeding in Scotland as well as Owls and Ravens

The Seabird Group The Seabird Group, a registered charity, was founded in 1966 to promote and help coordinate the study and conservation of seabirds. It maintains close links with other national and international ornithological bodies. Members receive, and can contribute to, regular newsletters, and the colour journal Seabird, published annually. The Group provides small grants towards research and survey projects and actively encourages its members to get involved in surveys of seabirds and other research work.

Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) The WWT conserves wetlands for wildlife and people. Many wetlands are highly productive and support far more species than would be expected for the surface area that they cover. They are also essential habitats that provide society with a wide range of benefits.

Books and other media

Bird Images DVD video guides featuring footage of birds flying, feeding, singing and calling, at different times of the year and in all sorts of different weather conditions. The footage is specially filmed on High Definition cameras and edited on professional equipment.

Birdwatch Book Store provides a selection of the best birding books around, as well as the latest issue of the magazine, recent back copies or a great-value subscription.

Books for Birders offers a comprehensive range of bird books for Britain, Europe and the World. Also bird CDs, DVDs and CD-ROMs, and a selection of other natural history titles. UK post free.

NHBS seek out natural history books from all countries and offer interesting natural history and science titles that you won't find anywhere else. They also have over 1,000 wildlife products for ecology and wildlife watching.

Subbuteo Natural History Books offer thousands of titles to choose from, including all the latest releases. They stock books on avian reference, ecology, field and site guides for birds, invertebrates, flora, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, regional and country guides, as well as travel guides, maps, checklists and ID charts.

2 comments:

  1. This is a terrific list of links. I'm just getting into birding, a latecomer now that I'm an adult, and I love having everything together here in one place. Thanks!

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    1. Thanks for taking the time to comment Aaron. Glad that you're finding the site useful! :)

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