Mark Wilson works as Acting Head of Science Scotland at  BTO Scotland.

Mark is responsible for developing and leading research and contributes to the scientific strategy of BTO Scotland. Mark is involved in several BTO projects and external collaborations carrying out research and monitoring work on a wide range of topics including upland and woodland ecology, breeding waders, raptors and acoustic monitoring. Mark has responsibility for leading much of BTO’s research work on raptors, breeding waders, woodland and upland birds, as well as a variety of mostly Scottish work on bird ecology, land use and management, stakeholder engagement and monitoring.

Mark also works closely with Amy Challis,  the Raptor Monitoring Coordinator, and Björn Beckmann spending time working on behalf of the SRMS to help with data curation, research and  analytical support which are all important to the SRMS achieving its objectives.

Mark has been studying birds for most of the past 20 years.  Mark undertook a  BSc in Ecological Science at Edinburgh, before going to Sheffield to undertake a PhD on Willow Warbler breeding biology.  After a brief interlude working on the Repeat Upland Bird Survey for RSPB, Mark went to Ireland to undertake post-doctoral research at the University College Cork on biodiversity of forested Irish landscapes.  Mark stayed in Ireland for over 10 years, the last period of which was spent studying the ecology of Hen Harriers in relation to upland land use.