BOURC membership changes
15 May 2019
At the recent BOU AGM, existing BOURC member James Gilroy was elected as member of BOU Council to Chair the Records Committee.
James is a Lecturer in Ecology at the University of East Anglia. His research combines ecological modelling, large-scale spatial analysis and field-based empirical studies, to examine how movement behaviour influences the way species respond to environmental change. A lifelong birder and natural historian, he is fascinated with migration, and understanding how populations can adapt to human-induced changes. Alongside his work on migratory birds, he has a strong interest in exploring how agricultural land-use decisions can be optimised to protect biodiversity, particularly in the tropics.
With James’ move to the Chair, we’re delighted to announce that Chris Batty has replaced him as an ordinary member on BOURC.
Chris developed a diverse interest in birds from an early age and as well as a natural enthusiasm for rarities, he is a trained ringer and has enjoyed roles as both local bird recorder and report editor on the Fylde, Lancashire, where his lifetime’s local birding was rewarded with the discovery of Britain’s third Great Knot on his childhood patch. After graduating in Ecology at the University of East Anglia, Chris completed a further degree and worked for the RSPB before returning to Rare Bird Alert where more than twenty years of service have given him a sound knowledge of the British birding scene that, alongside a wide range of identification interests, was recognised by his election to the British Birds Rarities Committee on which he has now served for twelve years. Although having travelled extensively throughout much of the Western Palearctic, Chris is now more likely to be found at home where he monitors bird migration through automated sound recordings.
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