RSPB England

The EU LIFE-funded Little Tern Recovery Project has helped turn the tide for little tern populations. Communications Officer, Sydney Henderson, reflects on the success of the project and why the work is by no means complete.  

The weight of a tennis ball. 

A picky eater. 

A courtship proposal in the shape of a fish.

The scientific name, Sternula albifrons describes the distinctive white forehead, with albus, "white", and "frons…

With over one million members, staff, volunteers and supporters, the RSPB encompasses a wide range of views and people. It’s important to recognise the value of difference as well as better reflecting the communities in which we work. In this blog, the RSPB’s LGBTQIA+ group, the Starlings, reflect on this year’s Pride celebrations and why nature needs us all.

In previous years the RSPB Starlings have…

Puffins are back on land and breeding, but they’re only around for a short while each year! Read more about these comical seabirds and where to see them with RSPB England’s Lucy Hodson…

Sea clowns, sea parrots or just plain and simple puffins – these colourful, characterful birds seem to capture hearts and minds wherever we encounter them.

We only have a relatively narrow window in which to…

 If you have enjoyed watching the beavers in Cornwall on Springwatch, you can read more about them in this blog by Heather Devey, Project Officer with the Cumbria Beaver Group. Below, Jane Sears, RSPB’s Species Lead for Beaver, and Jen Smart, Head of Species for England, describe how RSPB is working towards a return of beavers to more English waterways.

2020 is a key year for the future of beavers in England. Beavers…

RSPB England's, Beth Markey, explores one of the more unusual side of nature...

Red admiral by Chris Gomersall

If you could choose to taste with any part of your body, your feet would probably be last on your list, right? We can’t imagine that clammy socks and floor tiles have anything on a mouth-watering chilli con carne.

But for some animals, tasting with body parts other than a tongue gives them a distinct…

You may be familiar with dandelions and daisies but, with over 1600 types of wildflower in the UK, how many can you identify? RSPB England’s Oriole Wagstaff looks at the importance of wildflowers and provides some tips to help you identify a few of our most common wildflowers. 

Over the past few months, like many people, you may have found comfort in the nature around you.  Perhaps noticing brightly coloured flowers fighting through pav…

RSPB England Communications Officer, Becca Smith, takes a look at our top nature and wildlife books, not just to inspire you with our natural world, but perhaps to keep the little ones entertained too!

Recent events may have left you thinking about the next book you’ll be picking up as you seek an escape from the outside world. The nature outside has somewhat refused to be ignored in recent weeks however, with spring…

Photo credit: Ray Kennedy

RSPB calls on England’s City and Metro Mayors to protect and invest in nature as part of green recovery. Please scroll to the bottom of the page to ask your mayor to put nature at the heart of recovery plans via our online action.

New figures released by the RSPB reveal...

• Overwhelming public support for investing in nature as part of plans for recovery from Coronavirus crisis;
• Strong public opposition…

On World Ocean Day, RSPB England's Pete Exley explores the amazing lives of some of our most loved seabirds, and explains why these creatures matter

Will the real puffin please step forward?

Say the word “puffin”, and most people will conjure up an image of a plump dumpy bird with a comical over-sized multi-coloured bill.  Puffins are perhaps one of our most familiar birds, to be found on tea towels, mugs…

To celebrate National Volunteers’ Week, RSPB England's Oriole Wagstaff looks at how volunteering is building confidence and saving some of our rarest wildlife at RSPB Dungeness (and why marsh mallow are key to this!)

When you think about marsh mallows and volunteers, you might imagine toasting sweets on a bonfire. But, in this case, it’s all about a rare moth and the two volunteers who are striving to save it…

New infrastructure projects are likely to be a major component of our economic recovery post-Covid. Done well, they can leave nature and communities better than they were before. But when done badly, the damage can scar wildlife, people and places for generations. 

The RSPB engages with infrastructure projects likely to impact nature, and draws on decades of experience to advise how best to minimise damage and maximise…

Hello there my name is Indy, I am 14 years old. For the past year since the RSPB took over management and the new centre opened, I’ve been volunteering with the RSPB in the magical Sherwood Forest and beautiful Budby South Forest.

When I first started at Sherwood I was part of the Welcome Team in the Visitor centre. It felt like I was starting at a new school as I was quite nervous. I didn’t need to be as it was…

Britain’s largest fish is back for the summer. RSPB England’s Beth Markey gives the low down on these widely misunderstood gentle giants

One of our favourite seasonal visitors, the basking shark, is back in UK waters for the summer.

As mysterious as they are colossal, basking sharks are famed globally for their unique appearance and elusive behaviour. And it’s not really hard to see why. Basking sharks…

RSPB and Sizewell C 

With final plans submitted for a new nuclear power plant next to our much loved Minsmere reserve, we look at what this means for globally threatened nature and why we’re making a stand to #LoveMinsmere. 

What is Sizewell C? 

EDF Energy have just submitted their final proposals to build a new twin nuclear reactor, Sizewell C, on their Sizewell Estate on the Suffolk coast. If given the go-ahead, the con…

It’s often noted that humanity simply would not survive without bees. But how true is this? RSPB England’s Beth Markey answers this and all your other burning questions on bees.

Most of us know bees as fuzzy, charming little chaps that live in hives and grant us with endless supplies of honey. But there’s much more to these winged invertebrates than meets the eye - from their invaluable role in keeping the…

RSPB England's Lucy Hodson explores why locking away the lawnmower is the best thing you can do for your garden and the environment. 

Why a messy garden can be good for wildlife

Take half an hour on a sunny day in early summer. Just sit in your garden, and watch. Before long, you’ll notice the thrumming rhythm of life. Hoverflies, bees and butterflies bustle around flowers. Beetles, spiders and bugs rumble through the…

On World Migratory Bird Day, RSPB England's Lucy Hodson explores the fantastic feats undertaken by migratory species as they traverse the skies to and from their summer and winter grounds.

It starts with a single scream. You see it, high above, a crescent moon silhouette circling. They’re back!

The moment our swifts return to the skies is often heralded as the start of summer. These iconic birds are one of many…

Today Natural England has published the licences for taking peregrine falcons for falconry. We are meeting with the agency tomorrow [7 May] to discuss this but we have serious doubt as to the justification for granting these licences. The RSPB’s Senior Investigations Officer, Guy Shorrock, describes the historical background to this ... 

The recent decision announced by Natural England (NE) to allow three people to…

The UK is home to a surprising amount of ground-nesting birds, with some of our most common species choosing to make their homes nearer the ground rather than in trees. In your garden, you may have come across a robin’s nest tucked under bushes or taking advantage of the shelter provided by your garden plant pots.

Out in the wider countryside, there are lot of other ground-nesting species too and these are often…

Jess Chappell , RSPB Senior Policy Officer in England, writes about the West Midlands Combined Authority recovery action plan and how a green economic recovery from coronavirus is absolutely essential if we are to “recover better”

It’s impossible to miss the role that nature is playing in providing a source of comfort and relief for so many during this difficult time. This comes as no surprise – a thriving…

The nation may be in lockdown, but the birds’ breeding season doesn’t stop for anything and neither, apparently, do HS2 Ltd and their contractors.

Colin Wilkinson, Senior Conservation Officer for RSPB shares the latest on HS2 ... 

At Broadwells Wood in Warwickshire, HS2 Ltd’s contractors are continuing to clear ancient woodland at the worst possible time of year. It’s technically legal, but against all…

Is nature bouncing back in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis? And will the lockdown hinder conservation efforts? RSPB England's Sara Humphrey explores the facts and the fiction behind many of the headlines. 

As humans stay home to flatten the curve of Covid-19, millions of people have been amazed and uplifted by the nature they can see from their homes and while locally exercising. As a result, we are getting a lot of…

The RSPB's Rupert Masefield describes how nature might thrive alongside development ... 

Three years ago, I put up a new nest box in our tiny terrace garden. By the start of this year it had sat empty for so long I’d nearly given up on it. Then, just as I was beginning to wonder if I should put up a “derelict” sign, a pair of blue tits finally decided to move in this spring. Last week the chicks hatched, and the coming…

As we observe nature from our windows and through our gardens more than ever during times like these, RSPB England’s Communications Officer, Becca Smith, discusses; “how can the garden benefit my mental health?”

In recent weeks, many of us will have found ourselves stressed or anxious, but a glance outside our window, a feeling of the sun on our backs, or a breath of fresh air can help to ease our minds…

Michael Coplestone is RSPB England's Head of Land, and absolutely WILD about wildlife. 

Join Michael, his eager little helper, Hannah, and his butterfly net as they answer all your wildlife questions, including:

• What are some good nature-based activities for under-5's?
• What are the best RSPB reserves to see butterflies?
• Why are birds pecking on my roof?
• How can I learn birdsong?
• Is it illegal to trim hedges during…