Two funding opportunities have been announced by the British Ornithologists’ Union.

Small Ornithological Research Grants

“The BOU Small Ornithological Research Grants scheme offers awards of up to £2,000 to support small projects on any aspect of ornithology.  The scheme is open to BOU members only.  An exception is made for those from and still residing and working in a low- or middle-income country, who can apply without being a member.”

Deadline for applications: 30 October 2026

Click here for Guidelines and Application Form.

Career Development Bursaries

The BOU Career Development Bursaries aim to support short-term research positions for early-career ornithologists.  Successful proposals combine the development of skills useful for a future career in ornithology with a sound scientific research proposal.  Up to £4,000 will be provided to cover a period of career development lasting 4-12 weeks, during which a scientific research project will be conducted.  Up to a further £2,500 is available for visa and travel costs for applicants from low- or middle-income countries who are currently based at an institute in a low- or middle-income country (see list).

The BOU bursary scheme is open to BOU Early Career Researcher (ECR) members only.  An exception is made for those from and still residing and working in a low- or middle-income country, who can apply without being a member.”

Deadline for applications: 30 October 2026

Click here for Guidelines and Application Form.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 02 July 2026

“The Pacific Seabird Group is pleased to offer complimentary virtual registration for the 4th World Seabird Conference (WSC4) to eligible applicants.

Virtual registration provides full access to the conference experience, including:

• Live virtual presentations
• Pre-recorded talks
• On-demand access to all sessions (7–10 September 2026)
• A dedicated live-streamed Hybrid Day on Friday, 11 September 2026, featuring poster sessions, networking opportunities, and activities for early-career researchers.

Applications will be reviewed by the WSC4 Organising Committee.  Successful applicants will be notified by email in August.

Deadline: 30 July 2026.  Apply here.

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with the global seabird community and take part in WSC4 from wherever you are.”

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 01 July 2026

Logo designed by Bayja Morgan-Banke

These 54th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group will be held from 15-19 February 2027 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

“Over the next few months, we will be updating our Annual Meeting website, including additional accommodations and travel information, a call for abstracts, registration information, field trips, and more.  In the meantime, we do have room blocks already available at the hotel venue (Marriott Vancouver Pinnacle Downtown, 1128 W Hastings St, V.ancouver, BC V6E 4R5; $259 CAD plus tax)".

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 30 June 2026

“Locations of marine predator breeding colonies (yellow circles) and nearby Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) Australia weather stations (purple triangles) used in this study.  Values in parentheses indicate the most recent breeding population estimates for each colony: number of live pups for Australian fur seals, number of burrows for short-tailed shearwaters, and number of breeding pairs for shy albatross”

Milan Sojitra (Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia) and colleagues have published a research article in the journal Science Advances on the effects of extreme weather on three Tasmanian marine “sentinel species,” including the endemic Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Extreme weather events (EWEs) are increasing in both intensity and frequency globally.  For long-lived, slow-reproducing marine predators, repeated or sequential EWE-driven breeding failures can have population-level consequences.  We quantified effects of EWEs on reproductive output and identified temporal windows of vulnerability during breeding in three sentinel species across 14 colonies with varying population trajectories in Tasmania, Australia.  Using long-term breeding datasets and daily weather records, we found that Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus), short-tailed shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris), and shy albatross (Thalassarche cauta) exhibited species- and colony-specific vulnerabilities.  Storm surges reduced pup production in a low-lying fur seal colony, extreme rainfall lowered shearwater breeding success, and albatross productivity declined with exposure to extreme heat, rainfall, and wave events.  These results highlight the importance of identifying critical extreme weather thresholds and periods of vulnerability to inform ecological forecasting.  Proactive, climate-informed management strategies tailored to specific colonies are needed to enhance the resilience of vulnerable populations under accelerating climate change.”

Reference:

Sojitra, M., Corney S., Hemer, M., Bestley, S., Hmilton, S., Thalamann, S. & Lea, M.A. 2026.  Extreme weather effects on marine predator breeding outcomes in a global climate change hotspot.  Science Advances 12. No. 25.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 29 June 2026