Mike Toms

Mike is an ornithologist who has been with the British Trust for Ornithology since 1994. He is the author of Owls, published by Harper Collins Publishers.

Recent articles by Mike Toms

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Do all migrants fly twice a year?

Close-up of a Song thrush (Turdus philomelos) with snail shell near St. Marys in the Isles of Scilly, a common bird in gardens, farms and woodland throughout Britain

Do birds other than song thrushes break snail shells on stones?

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What’s happened to all our whinchats?

White tern on Midway Atoll in Hawaii. © Danita Delimont/Getty

Why do white terns lay their eggs on branches?

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How does a bird get red-listed?

Woodcock at nest © Mirceax / Getty

If the woodcock is a wader, why does it live in woods?

Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes, single bird singing on branch, Warwickshire, April 2012

Why do we have so many types of wren?

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Why do little egrets have yellow feet?

Waxwing, Bombycilla garrulus, single bird on rowan berries, West Midlands, December 2010

How do waxwings use their crests?

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What’s the UK’s most promiscuous bird?

A redwing feeding on rowan berries. © Education Images/Getty

Where do our wintering thrushes come from?

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How do nightjars hunt in the dark?

A robin's nest contained blue patterned eggs. © Marcia Straub/Getty

Why do some birds’ eggs have patterns?

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What’s the difference between a song and a call?