#BOU2026 – Workshops & Exhibitors
Birds and people
31 March – 2 April 2026
UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, UK
Watercolours by Lillias August RI
Tuesday 31 March – Thursday 2 April 2026 | The Exchange (C3)
Red-rumped Wheatears’ nests, 63 x 39cm watercolour by Lillias August RI©
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Birds and people: nests as records of our interconnected behaviour
Douglas G D Russell, Senior Curator, Birds’ Eggs and Nests, Natural History Museum & Lillias August RI, member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (RI)
Several watercolour paintings will be on display illustrating work in progress during a collaboration between the artist, Lillias August RI and Douglas G D Russell, Senior Curator of Birds’ Eggs and nests at the Natural History Museum. Nests have an extraordinary power to communicate something meaningful to us about the world in which they were built and the birds that made them. Artists’ have long played a role in depicting and sharing this knowledge with diverse audiences and Lillias’ work is no exception.
ECR Workshops
Day 1 | Tuesday 31 March 2026 | 1400 – 1700 | The Exchange (C1 / C4 / C34)
We are running the following 1-hour workshops for BOU ECR members on the afternoon before the conference gets started. Workshops will take place in The Exchange (Jubilee Campus, Nottingham University) from 1400-1700 BST on Tuesday 31 March.
All workshops will take place in-person, encourage interactions and give attendees the opportunity to ask questions.
Please contact Angela Langford to register for these workshops.
How to make the most of your conference poster. Communicating your research through a poster in a visually appealing, memorable and scientifically rigorous way requires a distinct set of skills. Join Natalia Zielonka (University of Kent, UK) and River Stewart (University of Portsmouth, UK) for this workshop to gain practical guidance and best-practice tips for designing, and talking about, an effective conference poster that stands out for the right reasons. This workshop will take place 14:00-15:00 BST.
The fundamentals of social science for ornithologists. Working across disciplines is increasingly recognised as key to conservation success, yet most ecologists receive little to no formal training in social research methods. Join interdisciplinary researchers Sana Huque and Karishma Pradhan (Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), India) to explore the key concepts of social research, understand core methodologies, and learn how to integrate social science into your research. This workshop will take place 15:00-16:00 BST.
How to write your first grant. Writing your first grant, or applying for research funding more generally, can feel daunting. Join Zoe Davies (University of Kent, UK), an experienced scientist with an impressive track record of securing competitive grants, to learn how to navigate your first application, pick up practical tips and ‘the tricks of the trade’. This workshop will take place 16:00-17:00 BST.
Wildlife Acoustics Workshop
Day 2 | Wednesday 1 April 2026 | 1315 – 1400 | The Exchange (C1)
Listening to birds: acoustic methods for effective bird surveys
Carlos Abrahams, Wildlife Acoustics
Open to all. Dr. Carlos Abrahams (Wildlife Acoustics) will explore the power of acoustic monitoring to study and conserve birds. Acoustic survey methods provide a non-intrusive, scalable approach to track bird populations, assess habitat use, and inform conservation strategies. This session will highlight best practices, guidance from the Bird Survey Guidelines framework, and practical insights on how sound can enhance both scientific and management practice. Whether you’re designing a survey, interpreting acoustic data, or seeking innovative ways to connect people with birds, this talk will provide actionable knowledge for researchers and conservationists alike.
ECR Event
Day 2 | Wednesday 1 April 2026 | 1830 – 1930 | The Exchange (Ground Floor)
Our annual roundtable event for ECRs, featuring an open bar, ECR giveaways and opportunity to speak with some of the wonderful people working within ornithology. No registration required, just show up on the day. Not to be missed!
EarthRanger Workshop
Day 3 | Thursday 2 April 2026 | 1315 – 1400 | The Exchange (C1)
Mathias D’haen, EarthRanger
Open to all. EarthRanger is a free conservation technology platform to help researchers and wildlife organisations monitor, manage, and respond to ecological threats in real time. It integrates data from more than 150 sources —such as GPS trackers, camera traps, acoustic sensors, weather stations —into a single, map-based operational dashboard. Built-in analysers—such as geofences, immobility alerts, and proximity analysers—can automatically trigger notifications when a tagged bird enters sensitive areas, remains stationary for unusual periods, or approaches infrastructure like wind turbines or protected nesting sites. The platform supports automated WhatsApp and email alerts, spatial analysis, and reporting tools that can improve coordination between field staff, researchers, and partner agencies across borders.
Scientific Programme Committee
Nishant Kumar | National Centre for Biological Sciences (TIFR), Bengaluru, India; University of Oxford, UK & Thinkpaws Foundation, Delhi (Chair)
Tatsuya Amano | University of Queensland, Australia
Kristina Beck | Senckenberg Research Institute, Germany
Joelene Hughes | RSPB, UK & BOU Meetings Committee
Barry McMahon | University College Dublin, Ireland & BOU Meetings Committee
Alice Risely | University of Salford, UK & BOU Meetings Committee
Umesh Srinivasan | Indian Institute of Science, India
Image credit: Top right, Kea | Jens Bludau CC BY-SA 3.0 Wikimedia Commons
