Current Appointments:
Research Fellow in Avian Influenza Ecology, University of Leeds
Visiting Researcher, Imperial College London
Principal Ornithologist, Mott MacDonald Ltd.
Associate Editor, Ringing and Migration
Severnside Bird Ringing & Research Group
British Ornithologists’ Union - Engagment Commitee
British Ornithologists’ Union - Scientific Programme Committee - Avian Disease Ecology (2027)
Natural England Twite Recovery Steering Group
Bird Survey and Assessment Steering Group
Consulting
Alongside my academic research, I am interested in evidence-based methods for bird survey design and data assessment. I have developed technical guidance and modeling approaches for industry, and have supported academic placements to tackle real-world challenges. I run a start-up that supports commercial and NGO clients to design and resource scientifically robust ornithological surveys and data assessment.
Bird Survey and Assessment Steering Group: Most ornithological consultancy work, prior to 2018, was based on the BTO’s Common Bird Census (CBC), a method designed to monitor breeding birds at a national scale through repeated visits to farmland and woodland to record breeding behaviors. However, this approach is ill-suited to commercial surveys, which need to quantify bird use of a specific land parcel over fewer visits and account for a range of behaviors—including use of the site by birds nesting elsewhere. In 2016, I co-authored new commercial guidance that addresses these challenges. This guidance was published in 2018 and has since become the industry standard. I have continued to sit on the steering group overseeing its development. Through this work, I have also supervised several academic projects assessing the effectiveness of established methods—for example, evaluating the number of surveys needed to meet species diversity thresholds, or using BTO open data to assess site importance for birds. Additionally, I’ve contributed to the development of the CIEEM competency framework for oenithology, a desk-study tool using BTO data, and authored several technical notes on specific survey methodologies.
Skopeo: The Ornithology Network: I founded Skopeo with my partner in 2021, as a spin-out from work developing survey guidance published in 2018. We were responding—then, as now—to an industry need for specialist, sustainable approaches to resourcing and interpreting ornithological survey data. Our approach uses competent, local bird surveyors for data collection, while we work with clients on their specific needs - survey design, data assessment, and extension modelling (for example, for collision risk). Our links with the Ornithological community, with academic practice, and the Bird Survey and Assessment Steering Group, mean we are well placed to meet these needs. Our clients range from regional ecological consultants to global engineering firms, NGOs, and statutory nature conservation bodies (SNCBs). As a result, our work is also varied - working on conservation baselines and specific-species monitoring, supporting on and offshore sustainable development (often for renewable energy and housing), and informing mitigation, compensation, and habitat enhancement for birds.
To take part, contact us at contact@skopeo.co.uk