In an unprecedented crackdown, police in the UK have seized over 6,000 illegal wild bird eggs, marking the largest confiscation in the nation's history. Read it here >

Work is set to start late in 2025 on a project to create wetlands between West Kirby and Hoylake. This initiative aims to reduce flood risks in the area and establish a new nature reserve to draw in visitors. Read it here >

A Philippine Eagle chick, which hatched through artificial insemination, has died, marking another setback for one of the world's largest and critically endangered raptors. Read it here >

According to the Alderney Wildlife Trust, the most recent Puffin Survey identified 330 active nests on Burhou, a significant increase from the 120 nests documented in the initial study. Read it here >

A butterfly that went extinct in England more than 40 years ago has been successfully reintroduced to the woodlands where it last lived.
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Conservationists in the US are hopeful that a new captive breeding program will help save the endangered Seaside Sparrow subspecies found in the Florida everglades.
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A Christmas message to our all subscribers, followers and supporters - Thank You.
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Jon Dunn brings you his final weekly birding roundup of 2024 looking back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic. More here >

Numbers of Great Skua or Bonxies at Shetland National Nature Reserves (NNRs) increased slightly this year but remain significantly below pre-avian flu levels. More here >

The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust has been awarded £512,182 to restore nature, in partnership with 11 organisations. More here >

A new act in the United States will help sustain long-term wildlife conservation efforts by authorising $100 million to be appropriated annually for the next 10 years. More here >

WWT has announced that it has agreed the purchase of 148-hectares of low-lying land on the Awre peninsula in Somerset, for a pioneering saltmarsh restoration project. More here >

The UK Government has announced its intention to bring forward a “complete ban on bee killing pesticides” with “legislative options that would legally prevent the future use of three specific neonicotinoids. More here >

A new report from The Wildlife Trusts identifies continued declines in water vole populations set against heartening increases in areas where conservation efforts have been focused. More here >

Jon Dunn looks back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic. More here >

A new study explores the link between birdsong and people, specifically on English vineyards, as viticulture is the UK's fastest growing agricultural industry. More here >

Two pieces of recent research identified that, in response to warming, more than 100 species of Australian birds have developed smaller bodies and bigger beaks over time. More here >

South Yorkshire Police are appealing after a Raven was found shot dead next to grouse moor in notorious raptor persecution hotspot. More here >

Police in Northern Ireland have confirmed that an adult bird of prey was found dead in the Forkhill area of Armagh in June of this year was poisoned. More here >

In a pioneering new move, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is making decades of breeding bird data freely available to the wider conservation and research community. More here >

The UK's tallest bird, the Common Crane, is going from strength to strength at RSPB Lakenheath Fen in Suffolk, thanks to the creation of Crane ‘runways’ in its reedbed. More here >

Led by RSPB Scotland, the four-year Corncrake Calling project has delivered essential conservation work to help Corncrakes and other wildlife. More here >

Jon Dunn looks back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic. More here >

A colony of one of the UK’s rarest breeding seabirds, devastated by Avian Influenza in 2022 and 2023 has produced more chicks than ever before. More here >

2024 proved to be a very successful year for Little Terns on the east coast of Ireland, with increased nesting numbers across all of the colonies managed by BirdWatch Ireland. More here >

A survey conducted in Andalusia (southern Spain) indicates that the wintering presence of Griffon Vultures has grown over the last 15 years. More here >

In a remarkable international effort, 30 young Griffon Vultures recently arrived in Sardinia, as part of ongoing efforts to restore the population of the birds on the island. More here >

New research has revealed the surprising flexibility of a hummingbirds bill and the important role in plays in helping the birds feed efficiently. More here >

Butterfly Conservation is working with the water company to create a wildlife haven at Yew Hill, just south of Winchester, where it has an underground reservoir. More here >

New research says that bird wing shape - a proxy for long-distance flying ability - is a trait that influences biodiversity patterns on islands around the world. More here >

Jon Dunn looks back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic. More here >

The Standing Committee of the Bern Convention voted to lower the protection status of wolves, a decision widely criticised by conservation experts and environmental organisations. More here >

Officers attended an address in Benfleet as part of co-ordinated activity across the UK to tackle the illegal trade in wild bird eggs. More here >

New analysis of data from a long-term study, finds that warmer winters driven by climate change reduced the number of offspring. More here >

A new study researching the extinction of bird species, is the first to correlate bird traits with the timing of extinctions. More here >

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has received support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to buy Dryham Farm, a central part of their North Cave Wetlands nature reserve. More here >

A satellite-tagged Golden Eagle named 'Thistle' has been found dead with post-mortem results revealing the cause of death to be an attack by another eagle or eagles. More here >

Jon Dunn looks back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic. More here >

A coalition of nature charities including Butterfly Conservation is battling plans to put a golf course on an internationally-important wildlife site for the second time in 10 years. More here >

The warrant was part of a wider operation, targeting international organised illegal wildlife trade, specifically the taking, possessing, and trading of wild bird's eggs. More here >

There is renewed hope for the future of the Critically Endangered Philippine Eagle after a chick was successfully hatched at the newly opened National Bird Breeding Sanctuary. More here >

Join Rare Bird Alert founder Dick Filby on this early spring trip that has been enjoying incredible success in recent years. More here >

The penguin named 'Gus' gained 3.5kg during his 20-day stopover before being released back into the Southern Ocean. More here >

This is the first recorded incident of its kind in the south of Scotland, the news has led to renewed calls for urgent funding and support to help continued state-of-the-art monitoring and research. More here >

RBA founder Dick Filby invites you to join him in Colorado next Spring for a very special trip. More here >

The arrested individual could face prison sentences ranging from six months to two years, a fine, and disqualification from the right to hunt for up to two years. More here >

The charity for wetlands and wildlife has entered a one-year exploratory partnership with other conservation organisations, to support efforts to re-establish a viable breeding population of White-tailed Eagles. More here >

A new study has revealed the devastating toll of the 2023 bird flu outbreak on Ireland's tern species at their most important colonies. More here >

Scientists from the University of Aberdeen have attached tiny "backpack" type trackers to hummingbirds in the Andes in a bid to learn more about their movements. More here >

New research challenges the long-held belief that all components of the Earth's magnetic field, especially total intensity, are essential for accurate navigation. More here >

In October 2024, the African Penguin became the first penguin species to be listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. More here >

The last known location of the bird, tagged in 2022, was an area of moorland in the Angus Glens - an area with a long history of illegal bird of prey persecution. More here >

Jon Dunn looks back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic, headlined this week by an inland Scarlet Tanager and an Eyebrowed Thrush. More here >

Although able to use the wind to travel hundreds of thousands of miles, research now reveals there is an upper limit to the wind's benefit to albatrosses. More here >

Research reveals ten butterfly species have increased in Scotland in the past 40 years, it is thought climate change could be pushing them northwards. More here >

NatureScot has opened the formal consultation on whether a new National Park should be established in Galloway and parts of South and East Ayrshire. More here >

The latest report by the Rare Breeding Birds Panel reveals that 108 species and races of rare native birds were reported breeding, or attempting to breed, in the UK in 2022. More here >

A coalition of Scotland's largest nature and conservation organisations prepare compelling evidence to save Coul Links. More here >

Jon Dunn looks back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic, headlined by another Booted Eagle record, plus Black-faced Bunting and Slate-coloured Junco. More here >

In southern Africa, different White-browed Sparrow Weaver families have different architectural styles. More here >

Like people, birds have fewer friends as they age, but the reasons why are unclear but New research suggests they may just have no drive to. More here >

Britain's noisiest amphibian, reached record numbers this year at Syderstone Common nature reserve, thanks to decades of careful conservation work from reserve staff and volunteers. More here >

According to the IUCN, there is a real risk of the hedgehog being pushed towards extinction unless something is done to reverse the downward trend. More here >

A team of researchers found that male sparrows that cheat on their social partner have a higher life-time fitness, the ability to survive and reproduce. More here >

Jon Dunn looks back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic, with Black-faced Buntings making the headlines. More here >

Changing precipitation patterns in the Neotropics could threaten two-thirds of the area's bird species by the year 2100 if climate change goes unchecked. More here >

Concerning decline of migratory shorebird species highlights vital need to protect UK shorelines. More here >

A new genomic study of the endangered Oriental Stork reveals that the population's genetic health is still surprisingly strong, with high genetic diversity. More here >

Cumbria Wildlife Trust are overwhelmed by the public response to their appeal to secure Skiddaw Forest for nature. More here >

Migratory birds and urban communities across the USA will benefit from a new bill, the Urban Bird Treaty Act. More here >

Members of the public and landowners are being urged to report sightings and signs of beavers as part of a new survey of the population in and around Tayside. More here >

Jon Dunn looks back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic, with North Ronaldsay, in Orkney, taking the headlines. More here >

An upward trend in the number of Curlew chicks fledging across 5 sites in the UK has been celebrated as part of a dedicated 4 year project. More here >

Butterfly Conservation has been awarded £727,000 for a project to help farmers improve their land for wildlife and make their business more financially viable. More here >

Playing songs to Darwin's finches helps confirm link between environmental change and emergence of new species. More here >

Researchers have found that the gut microbiome affects the health of wild birds, which could impact their survival rates and ultimately population sizes. More here >

A recent scientific study highlights the severe consequences of expanding wind farm developments in the Thrace region of Greece for the future of two iconic vulture species. More here >

A year after its completion, the innovative "Stage 0" river restoration project on the National Trust's Holnicote Estate in Somerset has been heralded a success. More here >

Chris Batty looks back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic, headlined by a Booted Eagle in Cornwall. More here >

The SOC Annual Conference takes place at the Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry on 23 - 24 November 2024. More here >

New research using satellite imagery to monitor Emperor Penguin colonies shows the birds are struggling to adapt to rapid changes in their environment. More here >

The BTO is announces the launch of Cudyll Cymru, a brand-new citizen science project aimed at enhancing our understanding of birds of prey across Wales. More here >

Mike Scott-Ham describes the exciting discovery of a Booted Eagle at Nanquidno in Cornwall. More here >

One of the world's rarest birds, Wilkins's Bunting, has been handed a much-needed lifeline by a small species of parasitoid wasp. More here >

A rare opportunity to see thousands of Pink-footed Geese leaving and returning to roost at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre awaits visitors of its North West Bird Watching Festival on the 19 and 20 October 2024. More here >

Jon Dunn looks back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic, headlined by Phylloscopus warblers. More here >

Thirty conservation volunteers have spent over 500 hours monitoring how many chicks Yorkshire's Kittiwakes have raised throughout the summer. More here >

Fifteen Pine Martens, eight adult females and seven adult males, were released at secret locations on Dartmoor. More here >

The extinction of hundreds of bird species caused by humans over the last 130,000 years has led to substantial reductions in avian functional diversity. More here >

White-tailed Eagles have bred in Northern Ireland for the first time in more than 150 years in Co. Fermanagh. More here >

Jon Dunn looks back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic, headlined by a Pale-legged Leaf Warbler in Yorkshire. More here >

Two species of butterfly have made dramatic appearances in Scotland in a suspected response to climate change. More here >

A hunter has been sentenced to prison and fined heavily for poisoning two White-tailed Eagles in the Czech Republic. More here >

Spending just under £3 billion on creating and restoring wetlands in the next 27 years could yield at least £11 billion in benefits for society and the environment. More here >

A study of Kirtland's Warblers in the Bahamas showed that home ranges of several populations are tightly linked with the age of vegetation and way food resources are distributed. More here >

Acutely vulnerable to climate change, migratory birds offer valuable clues to scientists about how our warming planet is affecting wildlife: from their shifting migration patterns to their body weight. More here >

Jon Dunn looks back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and Western Palearctic, with the week being dominated by easterlies. More here >

Researchers have found that seabirds have a high density of sensory receptors at the tip of their beaks, which has been previously identified in specialized tactile foragers such as ducks. More here >

Using miniaturized loggers implanted in wild blackbirds, scientists recorded detailed measurements of heart rate and body temperature from birds every 30 minutes. More here >

Bird behaviour experts from the University of Vienna and Flinders University have looked into the parental benefits of 'made in heaven' matches between well-paired couples. More here >