Keith Betton

Keith devotes much of his summer to studying and helping to protect the small population of Stone Curlews that breed in remote locations on the downs in Hampshire. He has been the County Bird Recorder in Hampshire since 2010 and is currently Chair of the Hampshire Ornithological Society. When not birding locally, Keith is a keen world traveller having seen nearly 8600 species in over 100 countries. A past trustee of both the RSPB and BTO, he has also chaired OSME and the African Bird Club – and is Vice President of the latter. Having retired early from a career in the media he is now an advisor to BirdLife International, providing free media training to their worldwide staff. He has co-authored two books profiling prominent birdwatchers and has recently revised the popular guidebook 'Where to Watch Birds in Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight'. Much in demand as a public speaker, Keith includes a talk on Stone Curlews in his guided walks looking for them.