The Full Form of BTO is‍ British Trust for Ornithology.

The British Trust for Ornithology is an organisation founded in 1932 for the study of birds in the British Isles. The Duke of Cambridge has been patron since October 2020.

We strive to achieve this vision by harnessing the skills and passion of thousands of volunteers to advance our understanding of ornithology, in particular, through our bird surveys and schemes. We combine the resulting scientific outputs with interesting stories and powerful images to engage more people in this work and to inspire people to take action. Working in partnership with volunteers we have been monitoring the UK’s birds since 1933 and have extended our coverage to include other wildlife too.

We are a non-campaigning organisation and our aim is to conduct all of our work with the highest scientific rigour in order to produce robust evidence that can be used by anyone wishing to understand birds, other wildlife, their habitats and how different interventions may affect them. Our data now also cover mammals, dragonflies, amphibians and bees and we are an active sharer of information with other NGOs. The data, information and interpretation we produce is frequently used to secure protection for special wildlife sites, to set conservation priorities, to shape Government policy, and to steer decisions over planning applications and new developments. We have an active and growing family of members and volunteers who help to ensure the continuation of our work though their financial support.