Go to article Material excavated from beneath London for Crossrail’s new cross-capital rail link is to be used to create a huge wildlife reserve in Essex.

Following the recent number of interesting shrikes in Britain we present the most comprehensive artice available on the identification of this complex group. Please note this is a large pdf file (6.5mb) so please be patient when downloading

Go to article Curlews in the Thames Valley have seen a recovery in numbers recently.

Go to article The RSPB fears protected sites across Scotland could be vulnerable to developers after the Scottish Government granted planning permission for a huge golf course development in Aberdeenshire.

Go to article Analysis of this year's seabird breeding data on RSPB's coastal reserves shows that kittiwakes, Arctic terns and Arctic skuas have had a terrible season, with virtually no chicks reared to fledging in the far north of the UK

Go to article The BTO have colour-dyed 155 Oystercatchers on the Gower Peninsula in south Wales and are looking for your help to try and understand their their winter movements.

Go to article Following a hugely successful breeding season in Scandinavia unprecedented numbers of Kestrels from Norway, Sweden and Finland were found in Britain this autumn. See where they came from and where they ended up on an interactive map here.

Go to article When an Empidonax flycatcher was found in Cornwall on the 8th of October it was clear it was going to be a first for Britain. However was it an Alder or Willow Flycatcher? Hear from the finder and ringer as to how it was determined to be an Alder.

Go to article Spending two weeks in Cornwall in October bird finding one might expect to find a scarcity or two, if very lucky maybe even a BB rarity but a Common Nighthawk in off the sea would exceed even the most optimistic person's expectations. Martin Bonfield recounts when he was on the receiving end of just such an experience.

Go to article In northern Scotland, up to 50 oiled birds have been found around the coast of Caithness

Go to article Bittern numbers are up! That is the finding of the latest Bittern monitoring survey from the 2008 breeding season. The number of booming males increased 49% on 2007 figures and there were a number of other success stories.

Go to Article Amber listed as a bird of conservation concern; the Lapwing has shown significant declines in recent years, along with other farmland birds. Results from a recent survey, carried out by the British Trust for Ornithology, show a ray of hope for this one of our most threatened farmland birds.

Go to article A project which begun in July 2007 to track the movements of Ivory Gulls is nearing it's end and is highlighting some fascinating long-range movements.

Go to article From Shetland to Scilly October is to many the month when the unexpected can , and usually does, turn up. 2007 highlights were Brown Flycatcher, Siberian Rubythroat and Rose-breasted Grosbeak and 2006 will be remembered for the Canada Warbler in Ireland so what will 2008 bring?

Go to article The illegal shooting of birds of prey and other protected species in the Maltese islands has peaked this autumn, prompting renewed calls from BirdLife Malta and the RSPB for tougher action to be taken by the Maltese authorities against the illegal hunters.

Go to article Common birds are in decline across the world, providing evidence of a rapid deterioration in the global environment that is affecting all life on earth – including human life.

Go to article A gamekeeper has received a six month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to the systematic killing of birds of prey and badgers on the shooting estate where he worked.

Go to article The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has accepted the record of a juvenile American Common Snipe (‘Wilson’s Snipe’) Gallinago gallinago delicata on St Mary’s, Isle of Scilly, from 9 October 1998 until 7 April 1999 as the first record of this taxon for Britain.

Go to article A huge area of the Ribble estuary is to be returned to saltmarsh in the biggest scheme of its kind in the UK.

Go to article Red Kite numbers are soaring across the UK reports the RSPB.

Go to article A satellite tagged Osprey which was being tracked on its migration from Scotland to Africa has been found dead on the Western Isles.

Go to article Whether it be rarity hunting on the northern isles, sea-watching in the south-west, local patch watching for scarce passage migrants or high tide wader roosts there is something for everyone in September.

Go to article A pair of spoonbills have successfully bred for the first time in Scotland and only the second time in the UK in over 300 years.

Go to article The RSPB has been forced to take radical action to save one of its best-loved reserves from the sea.

Go to article The Bittern has enjoyed its best nesting season for at least 130 years.

Go to article Wilson's Petrel, Great and Cory's Shearwater as well as skuas and other seabirds are all on offer on these exclusive birder only pelagics. Book early on these hugely popular pelagics to avoid disappointment.

Go to article The latest 'State of the UK's Birds' report shows that climate change is causing a number of widespread British birds to lay their eggs much earlier than 40 years ago.

Go to article For many August means seabirds with pelagics and land-based seawatching going on around the British Isles. The first passerine migrants of the autumn begin appearing, with drift migrants on the east coast the classic harbingers of this eagerly awaited season. Get some great tips now, and read this again in a few weeks to see if the predicted species actually materialised!

Go to article The BBRC have introduced a new element into record submission and assessment in the shape of their 'Work in Progress' feature.

Go to article Following the large influx of Cattle Egrets into Britain in 2008 it has been confirmed that a pair has bred in Somerset.

Go to article The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has admitted Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias to Category A of the British List following the record of a juvenile on 7 December 2007 on St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly

Go to article The Golden Eagle Framework, published recently by Scottish Natural Heritage, proves persecution is halting this magnificent bird’s recovery in Scotland

Go to article The RSPB believes hundreds of seabirds have died so far this summer after becoming entangled in fishing nets set for salmon and sea trout in Filey Bay, North Yorkshire.

Go to article A project to encourage the Bittern to spread from its East Anglian stronghold has met with success as two Bittern nests have been found at Ham Wall RSPB reserve in Somerset.

Go to article In the latest of our new look month ahead features it's July and although much quieter on the rarity front there is still plenty to do and see.

Go to article Two colour ringed Spoonbills, watched in Britain during this last month, have both undertaken some substantial journeys, as revealed by sightings of them in Europe, says the BTO.

Go to article A small electronic tag that was implanted in a Steelhead Salmon at the USFWS Columbia River Hatchery (USA) has been discovered in New Zealand. Because Steelhead Salmon do not migrate across the equator, the best theories about the tag’s travels involves Sooty Shearwaters...

Go to article The BOURC has admitted Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus to Category A of the British List following a review of the occurrence of a female or immature at Oban Trumisgarry, North Uist, Outer Hebrides, from 23 October until 1 November 2000.

Go to article The 12th meeting of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) has adopted a measure to reduce the bycatch of vulnerable albatross and petrel species.

Go to article The latest update from the SeaWatch SW project is out with interesting observations indicating that small numbers of Balearic Shearwaters are essentialy resident in British waters!

Go to article Another White-tailed Eagle which was part of a re-introduction project in County Kerry has been found poisoned. This brings to four the number of eagles which have been poisoned since August 2007.

Go to article A major new campaign has been launched by the World Owl Trust to raise funds for the conservation of Britain's owls.

Go to article The RSPB is offering a reward of up to £1,000 for information leading to the conviction of people who have been setting traps for Peregrines in the Midlands.

Go to article We have revamped our Month Ahead feature which now has much more information on what you can see in June. As the madness of May passes, June can throw up a few gems but it is also a great time of year to see some British breeding species too. Get some top tips.

Go to article Curlew and Dartford Warbler are put on Birdlife International's 'Red List'

Go to article The publication by Defra of bird trends across regions of England shows that the UK government will face difficulty in meeting its target of halting wildlife declines by 2010, says the RSPB.

Go to article Following a previous request for help with photos for the forthcoming publication the list is getting smaller but the authors still need your help!

Go to article May is one of the best months of the year for migrants and vagrants. With spring migration underway in full, there is a chance of interesting birds anywhere.

Go to article After a history of illegal bird killing, the Maltese government finally has been ordered by the European Court of Justice not to allow the spring hunting of birds – a practice which is in direct contravention of European bird protection laws.

Go to article RSPB Scotland welcomes the news that the Scottish Government has turned down the Lewis Wind Power proposal

Go to article The Newport Wetlands Reserve is today recognised as being nationally important for wildlife with its declaration as a National Nature Reserve

Go to article Migratory shorebird populations wintering in south-eastern Australia have plummeted in recent years, with the key cause thought to be loss of suitable feeding habitat at staging sites, where birds refuel along their epic flights.

Go to article The first volume (passerines) of the long-awaited book by Hadoram Shirihai & Lars Svensson, the Handbook of Western Palearctic Birds , is now being readied for publication but has a few holes in its photo collection and needs your help.

Go to article Only a few days after returning to Glaslyn in Wales a pair of Osprey are currently incubating an egg raising hopes for a successful breeding season.

Go to article A serious case of poaching of one of Europe's most threatened bird species has been confirmed in Greece where a Lesser White-fronted Goose has been shot dead.

Go to article An egg thief has pleaded guilty to amassing a huge collection of wild birds eggs in the biggest case of its kind for 20 years.

Go to article April sees spring migration well underway, with the chance of rarities mixed in with commoner migrants.

Go to article Research shows that potato fields are providing an important breeding habitat for Yellow Wagtails.

Go to article Three Bermuda Petrels translocated to Nonsuch Island before fledging in 2005, have returned to the island, and have been observed entering artificial nesting burrows.

Go to article The RSPB’s 2008 Big Garden Birdwatch results show the average number of birds seen in each garden has declined by a fifth since 2004, however four species of finch, which spend the winter in the UK, have increased.

Go to article The fortunes of a charismatic farmland bird appear to have improved following incentives offered to farmers to make simple changes to the way they manage their land.

Go to article Two leading universities are disputing claims that EU conservation policy has been successful in protecting endangered birds. A study by RSPB and BirdLife International and published last year was flawed, they say.

Go to article A pair of poachers involved in the shocking shooting of 52 Red-footed Falcons Falco Vespertinus at Akrotiri, Cyprus, last year were yesterday fined a “derisory” €1,250 each, BirdLife Cyprus protested

Go to article Wildlife on land and at sea remains at risk following confirmation today of only a small increase in Defra's 2008/9 budget.

Go to article March can be an exciting time, with the onset of Spring migration proper. Of course, with these arrivals, comes the chance of a major rarity.

Go to article One of the most important breeding sites for wading birds in northern Britain is to become the RSPB's latest nature reserve thanks to the generous donations of its members.

As the number of records of American Herring Gulls in the British Isles increases this comprehensive article by Killiam Mullarney and Pat Lonergan should tell you all there is to know.
Note this is a PDF article & about 3.5mb large.

Go to article An innovative new scheme to help encourage Black Redstarts to breed is being implemented in central Manchester.

Go to article Good news from Scotland as Black Grouse numbers have increased dramatically over the past six years.

Go to article In stark contrast to January, February can be a relatively quiet month. However even a quiet month will mean thousands of messages being sent.

Go to article The latest results from the Wetland Bird Survey show that the number of Mallards wintering in the UK is at a record low.

Go to article The White-crowned Sparrow in Cley has attracted thousands of twitchers over the past few weeks. Money raised at a collection on site is to go to the local church repair fund.

Go to article The 36th report of the BOU Records Committee has been published in the BOU's journal Ibis in which a number of additions, changes and reviews are announced.

Go to article January can be one of the busiest times of year at RBA and we send more messages on January 1st than just about any other day and yearlisters are out ticking those species which might prove hard later in the year.

Go to article The fourth and final part of Birdlife International's review of bird conservation issues during 2007.

Go to article The third part of Birdlife International's review of bird conservation issues during 2007.

Go to article The RSPB reports on an analysis of population declines and increases amongst 124 of Europe’s common birds.

Go to article The second part of Birdlife International's review of bird conservation issues during 2007.

Go to article The first part of Birdlife International's review of bird conservation issues during 2007.

Go to article Wildfowl, gulls, geese and raptors can dominate the birdnews in December but there is usually plenty of other good birds to get you out in the cold. Here is our roundup of what you can expect, or hope in some cases, to find in December.

Go to article Lee Evans reviews the latest Highland Bird report to be published.

In light of the recent occurence, in Devon, of what is either a Pied or Black-eared Wheatear we bring you the first of two comprehensive identification articles from Magnus Ullman published in Dutch Birding. Note: this is a pdf and is 1.5mb in size.

It is notoriously difficult to distinguish Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pieschanka and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear 0 hispanica melanoleuca. This problem also occurs in north-western Europe, where both taxa have been recorded as vagrant . In this paper, the differences between the two are summed up. NOTE: this is a PDF and is 1.5mb in size.

Go to article The breeding grounds for some of the UK's rarest birds have narrowly escaped the storm surge that swept down the coast of East Anglia last night and this morning.

Go to article Numbers of corncrakes have risen again to their highest in almost three decades of monitoring, taking the population of the threatened species in Scotland to more than 1,270 calling males.

Go to article A study in which a plane was used to follow migrating songbirds in the US has shown adults are able to successfully navigate to wintering grounds over thousands of miles even if they are moved from one side of a continent to another.

Go to article Although migration is all but over November can very often throw up big surprises in the shape of megas, last year's Long-billed Murrelet being the most extreme of examples.

Go to article BirdLife has launched its Think Pink campaign, a response to the growing and urgent threat facing a crucial breeding site for Africa’s Lesser Flamingos.

Go to article The record of Olive-tree Warbler in Shetland in August 2006 is accepted on to the British List by the The British Ornithologists' Union.

Go to article BirdLife International welcomes today’s decision of the European Court of Justice which found Greece guilty of breaching European nature conservation law.

Go to article Thanks to a single satellite tag, a 3,000 strong flock of Sociable Plover has been discovered in Turkey – the largest seen for more than 100 years

Go to article Around 10 per cent of the world population of Balearic shearwaters has visited UK inshore waters this summer and autumn, with many believeing it is as a result of climate change.

Go to article Things turn a bit quite on Fair Isle after a memorable few weeks, but a scattering of Autumn migrants still kept the interest up, Mark Break's recalls.

Go to article Populations of one of the world’s strangest birds have crashed over the last decade, and surveys this summer of its breeding grounds in the remote Russian province of Chukotka suggest that the situation is now critical.

Go to article Fair Isle continued to produce 'the goods' with east meeting west in the shape of Blyth's Reed Warbler and Grey-cheeked Thrush along with a fine supporting cast, Mark Breaks recalls.

Go to article One of Europe’s largest coastal wetlands is to be created in south-east Essex, announced the RSPB.

Go to article BirdLife Cyprus, the RSPB's partner on the Mediterranean island, has recorded the worst reported slaughter of birds of prey on the island, and indeed Europe, in recent years.

Go to article Mark Breaks' latest update from Fair Isle where he reports on the beginning of a purple patch and a few days to remember.

Go to article October can be the most exciting, and busiest, month of the birding year. Rarities can turn up anywhere but the hotspots still remain The Scillies and The Shetlands.

Go to article The RSPB report on some of the successes and failures of the 2007 breeding season. The Bittern was hardest hit by an especially wet summer.