Ahead of the Big Garden Birdwatch this 28-30 January, find out which bird you’d couple up with

A firm garden favourite and a regular in the Big Garden Birdwatch top 10, would you be able to recognise these lovely little fluff balls? RSPB England’s Vicky Browne shows you how and where to spot them. 

Long-tailed tits are a great way to start identifying garden birds – the clue really is in the name! With tails longer than their bodies, you’ll often spot one of them in profile before a small flock comes…

Would you know a nuthatch if you spotted one? RSPB England’s Becca Smith delves into the identifiable features and behaviours of this distinctive bird.  

Nuthatches are the awesome “bandit” looking feathered friends that are often found scurrying to and fro in woodlands storing their food. The only bird to move upside down when climbing trees, it is their distinctive behaviours that have earnt them their name. Once…

If you’ve a bird feeder in your garden, coal tits might well be a common sight. But you’ll need to stay alert to get a good look – these active birds like to keep on the move. RSPB England’s Rich Morris looks at the key features and behaviours of this little aerial acrobat.

Point a coal tit in the direction of a conifer wood and you won’t see it for dust. The commercial planting of conifer forests…

With flashes of glorious red, yellow and black, the goldfinch is one of the most recognisable garden birds. Coming in at number 8 in 2021’s Big Garden Birdwatch, you’ll often spot them in small flocks called a ‘charm’. RSPB England’s Vicky Browne explains how to identify them and make your garden a goldfinch friendly zone. 

With red faces, black caps and yellow flashes on black wings, bold and…

Would you know a song thrush if one landed near you? RSPB England’s Beth Markey delves into the identifiable features and behaviours of this beautiful bird.  

Song thrushes are well-loved, snail-eating, melody-bringing members of the garden community. Once numerous across the UK countryside, their population has significantly fallen in the last 50 years and they often rely heavily on gardens and green spaces for nesting…

Icy vistas herald the start of the New Year. The holidays are over, the days are short and cold, and by some accounts January is the worst month of the year for wildlife spotting. But that couldn’t be further from the truth…

Attracting birds to your garden and outdoor space

Across the UK in January 2021, a million people took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch to count the number of birds in their local area…

RSPB volunteer Hilary Brooker-Carey looks back on 30 years helping to protect the seabirds of RSPB Coquet Island.

This year, RSPB England has chosen the Turtle Dove as our ‘Bird of the Year,’ thanks to the huge efforts that have gone into protecting these iconic birds in England and across the globe in 2021. RSPB England’s Sara Humphrey explains why they are so special… 

For many, Christmas is a time for carols and decorations, cards and wrapping paper but have you ever looked closely at the birds that feature in these 

…

Simon Marsh, Head of Nature Protection explains the options available to solving Portsmouth City Council’s housing situation which don’t involve concreting over its natural assets.

A recent proposal to build 3,500 homes and a marine hub in Portsmouth Harbour dramatically brings to life an age-old question: how to plan for people’s housing needs and protect the natural environment at the same time. In this…

In the cold months of winter, the sounds of swifts screaming overhead may seem a distant memory, but a new report shows the numbers of swifts and house martins spending summers in the UK continues to fall. RSPB England's Sara Humphrey looks at some ways in which we can help them, and other bird species, to recover.  

The latest Birds of Conservation Concern 5 report reveals more than 1 in 4 UK species, including swifts…

Starling murmurations are a sight to behold as thousands of birds swirl in the sky above. Get a front row seat to the spectacle at an RSPB reserve near you

From whooshing wings to overhead swoops of waders and wildfowl, get a front row seat to one of the greatest wildlife spectaculars this November at an RSPB reserve near you.

The following press release was issued today [27 October 2021] by RSPB England: 

The RSPB’s 2020 Birdcrime report has revealed that North Yorkshire is yet again the worst place in the UK for the illegal killing of birds of prey. The nature charity says that much of the persecution is linked directly to driven grouse shooting and has called for the industry to be regulated.

The figures in the 2020 report are the highest…

The following press release has been sent out today [13 October] concerning recent burning of peatland on Walshaw Moor in West Yorkshire

Outrage as peatlands burn ahead of UK hosting crucial climate talks

• The RSPB calls on Defra and Natural England to urgently investigate possible illegal peatland burning on a grouse shooting estate in West Yorkshire.
• The charity has also received other reports of burning over the w…

RSPB’s Morwenna Alldis reveals the weird and wonderful world of nature emerging this autumn. As October’s days and nights grow cooler, you may get the urge to hide under a blanket and binge watch Halloween flicks, hot chocolate in hand. B...

Has COP26 got you confused? Look no further for the answers to all of your questions and to find out what COP26 means for you and for nature.

Life on the Edge celebrates our coastal birds and is working to protect and restore habitats along our coastlines and estuaries

A new report suggests that Defra is at risk of failing nature and farming due to its poor management of the most important green farming policy in a generation.

Nature and climate must be higher priorities for the Government to make the ‘Oxford-Cambridge Arc' a world-leader in environmental sustainability.

Summer might be drawing to a close but there are plenty of opportunities to see some amazing wildlife whenever you’re out and about.

How much of England is protected and managed for nature, and how much does this need to be to restore our natural world?

Calling all teachers! Outdoor school trips are back on the curriculum at RSPB nature reserves in England.

Mike Shurmer, Head of Species for the RSPB in England, describes the success of hen harriers and the RSPB’s nature reserve at Geltsdale, and the important role played by diversionary feeding...

Firstly, we all welcome the news from Natural England that hen harriers have had their most successful season in England for several decades, with 31 breeding attempts, of which 24 were successful, fledging 84 chicks.

It’s…

Swaying golden reeds, crunchy fallen leaves and stunning sunsets can only mean one thing: Autumn. Find out how to discover nature’s very best seasonal spectacles in our latest blog.