Nick Wilkinson

Conservation Scientist, Conservation Science

Background

My research primarily concerns species of High Nature Value farming and the upland margins with a particular focus on the ecology of twite and developing conservation solutions.

I have worked on a broad range of projects including, testing the efficacy of conservation solutions for twite, assessing the coverage of protected areas in the UK's Overseas Territories, monitoring the population response of upland birds to peatland restoration, evaluating the benefits to other taxa of agri-environment management for corncrake, investigating the causes of decline of ring ouzel and chough, and monitoring the status of twite and capercaillie through national surveys.

I manage a number of seasonal research assistants in most years.    

I am an experienced researcher and project manager with a wide range of fieldwork experience on birds and other taxa. I have also developed skills in survey design and sampling techniques, GIS, and ecological data analysis.  

Partners and Collaboration

  • Dr Andy Brown, Natural England

Contact

Nick Wilkinson

Nick Wilkinson

Conservation Scientist, Conservation Science

The Lodge, Potton Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL

nick.wilkinson@rspb.org.uk

Research Gate

Specialisms

Agriculture Identifying problems UK species Upland

Selected Publications

Agri-environment management for corncrake Crex crex delivers higher species richness and abundance across other taxonomic groups

This study tested whether agri-environment scheme (AES) management for corncrakes in the UK is associated with higher diversity or abundance of non-target flora and fauna relative to similar land outside...

Date
21 April 2012
RSPB Authors
Nick Wilkinson, Dr Guy Anderson, Prof Jeremy Wilson
Authors
Wilkinson, N.I., Wilson, J.D. & Anderson, G.Q.A.
Published in
Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment
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Breeding ecology of twite Carduelis flavirostris in a crofting landscape

Capsule Twite nested close to and exploited rich seed sources on machair, and had high breeding productivity relative to other studies of Carduelis finches. Aims To test whether Twite nesting distribution...

Date
21 May 2010
RSPB Authors
Nick Wilkinson, Prof Jeremy Wilson
Authors
Wilkinson, N.I. & Wilson, J.D.
Published in
Bird Study
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Food supplementation does not increase demographic rates in a passerine species of conservation concern

Numerous studies have examined the effects of the provision of supplementary food on aspects of avian reproductive success, but far fewer have gone on to examine the potential positive effects of food supplementation on the demographic rates which are key for population growth rate. Testing for potential effects ...

Date
02 May 2015
RSPB Authors
Dr Innes Sim, Dr Staffan Roos, Nick Wilkinson
Authors
Sim, I., Wilkinson, N., Scridel, D., Anderson, D. & Roos, S.
Published in
Nature Conservation
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Capercaillie

Capsule A second full survey in which we estimate the population at 1073 birds (95% CL 549-2041). Aims To provide an up-to-date estimate of the population size of Capercaillie in Britain and to identi...

Date
01 January 2002
RSPB Authors
Nick Wilkinson, Dr Rowena Langston, Dr David Gibbons, Prof Richard Gregory
Authors
Wilkinson, N. I. and colleagues
Published in
Bird Study
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The nature and extent of terrestrial protected area coverage on the UK's Overseas Territories

Signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed to the effective protection of at least 17% of the terrestrial environment by 2020 (Aichi Target 11). Here, we assess the coverage of terrestrial protected areas (land protected by legislation) on the UK's Overseas Territories. 

Date
22 March 2017
RSPB Authors
Nick Wilkinson, Prof Juliet Vickery, Dr Graeme Buchanan
Authors
JONATHAN G. HALL
Published in
Environmental conservation
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