The countdown is on!

At this time of year, ringers and nest recorders are very busy with their projects and study sites. The data collected forms an invaluable insight into the productivity and distribution of birds all over the UK and Ireland. The online ringing section of the BTO website shows a great selection of recoveries generated from all the ringing that has occurred since 1909 but news of another fantastic resource will soon be available.

Between 2007 and 2011 tens of thousands of volunteer birdwatchers, ringers and nest recorders recorded in the winter and breeding seasons for Bird Atlas 2007-11. All areas and habitats were covered, from villages, towns, farmland and fens to remote mountains and far-flung islands. This stock-take of our birds is already revealing fascinating changes in the status of our birds and will shape the direction of conservation action over the coming decades.

Breeding distribution of Spotted Flycatcher during the breeding-seasons of 2008 to 2011

The Bird Atlas will soon be available, but our special pre-publication offer ends at midnight on the 31st July! If you order before this and you'll only pay £45 (plus p&p), saving 35% on the RRP. After this, the book will be priced at £70. Be one of the first to receive Bird Atlas 2007-11, the most important British and Irish Bird Book for decades. It offers the most complete and comprehensive overview of bird distribution and change. With over 1,300 maps for nearly 300 species in one hardback volume, it's compiled from data collected by over 40,000 volunteer surveyors.

Order your copy and view sample pages here.

Spotted Flycatcher - Graham Austin

An interesting example of what can be learned can be seen with the BTO bird of the month - Spotted Flycatcher. Click here to learn more about its breeding distribution.