About our Ornithology news
Latest news on ornithology, providing comprehensive coverage of birds, birdwatching, birding, bird migration, seabirds, songbirds, birds of prey, bird species, bird conservation and the ornithologists who study them, including the work of the RSPB and BTO.
Ornithology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of birds, from their evolution, anatomy and song to their breeding, behaviour and migration. Scientists recognise more than 11,000 bird species worldwide, and a unified global checklist called AviList, launched in 2025, has brought the major taxonomies together. Every ornithologist, from field researcher to museum curator, relies on shared names and classifications like these.
Conservation is a central story. Major assessments have found that around half of the world's bird species are declining and about one in eight is threatened with extinction. Agriculture, habitat loss, invasive species, hunting and climate change are leading pressures, while collisions with buildings, wind turbines and outbreaks of avian influenza add to the toll on wild birds.
Birdwatching is one of the most popular ways to connect with nature. Twitchers travel to see rare birds, families count garden visitors, and volunteers join surveys and bird ringing schemes that give ornithologists vital data. Bird feeders, nature reserves, photography and birdsong recognition apps have made birding more accessible than ever.
Bird migration remains a fascinating field of research. Songbirds, seabirds and waders travel thousands of miles each year, and studies suggest many species use the Earth's magnetic field together with sky cues and landmarks to find their way. Tracking tags and radar are revealing new routes, stopover sites and the risks birds face along them.
Fossils such as Archaeopteryx and feathered dinosaurs show that birds evolved from dinosaurs, while organisations such as the British Trust for Ornithology, founded in the 1930s as a clearing house for field ornithologists, built long-running records of bird populations. That history helps today's researchers see how bird numbers and ranges are changing.
The NewsNow Ornithology feed gathers the latest headlines on ornithology, birds, birdwatching, bird migration, bird species and bird conservation, from rare birds and twitchers to seabirds and birds of prey, updated throughout the day from reliable science, nature and local sources.
