Ian Newton is best known for his work on the ecology and conservation of birds. His 27-year study of a sparrowhawk population in Scotland is the longest running and most detailed study of any bird of prey. Ian is also renowned for his early work on finches, which revealed much about their feeding requirements, preferences and habits.

His research has produced far-reaching results of fundamental significance to evolutionary biology. For example, Ian’s studies have revealed the effects of pesticides and pollutants on bird populations. He has also looked at issues such as reproductive success and monitored the effects of changes in population size and food supply.

Ian has received a number of awards, including the Union Medal of the British Ornithologists’ Union in 1987, the President’s Medal of the British Ecological Society in 1989, and the Gold Medal of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in 1991. In 1999, he was a recipient of an OBE for services to avian research.