Saving Nature With Science

Guest blog by Sophie Mott, Carbon Farming Project Manager and Georgie Bray, Hope Farm Manager

Why are we interested in Carbon at Hope farm?

Recently, hard to read science underlined the ever-closing gap in our opportunity to halt the increase in temperature beyond 1.5 degrees. A shocking statistic, and that is without the full understanding of what this may mean for nature, where we live, and our ability to farm. Given…

The charismatic, emblematic and highly distinctive—if not conventionally beautiful—northern bald ibis is a species that has faced significant challenges and declines. Fortunately it has also long been the focus of conservation concern and efforts. In today’s blog Chris Bowden, Coordinator of the AEWA Northern Bald Ibis International Working Group, explains how the population has been recovering and future prospects.…

Identifying areas around the world that can best contribute to the conservation of wild animals is a major challenge. Historically, this often required conducting extensive surveys in the field, but with the advent of miniature tracking technology we can now follow animals and allow them to indicate which areas they depend on the most. A new tool developed by BirdLife International and a network of international collaborators…

A scientific paper, just published in the Journal of Ornithology, written by scientists from the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, suggests that the whinchat population in the UK uplands is not currently limited by the availability of apparently suitable breeding habitat. Conservation Scientists, Andrew Stanbury and Irena Tománková explain more.

Declining whinchat

Over the last century, breeding whinchat…

Today’s blog is by Conservation Scientist, Connie Tremlett, on her recent field work on the remote island of St Kilda tracking a tiny seabird

The Leach’s storm petrel is one of our smallest seabirds, around the size of a starling. They are beautiful birds – a sleek greyish black, with a domed forehead, a white rump and a forked tail. Unlike many of our other seabirds however, few people are privileged to have close…

Today's blog is by Conservation Scientist Tom Bradfer-Lawrence and Senior Conservation Scientist Rob Field. Tom led this work whilst working in the RSPB’s Centre for Conservation Science, but is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Stirling. 

The extent and severity of 2021’s extreme global weather events are manifestations of the warnings contained in the recent report from the Intergovernmental…

In the run up to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the UK Government has pledged to protect 30% of land by 2030. However, in a new study published today, RSPB scientists argue that as little as 5% may currently be effectively protected for nature.

Next year, governments of the world will come together to adopt the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework under the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity…

A new study shows that a threatened migratory vulture faces a variety of threats along its 5000 km journey from Europe to Africa, with birds getting shot, poisoned and electrocuted in 13 countries across 3 continents. Large-scale collaboration is necessary to reduce threats in each country along the flyway to protect migratory birds. Steffen Oppel, Senior Conservation Scientist, explains.

Anybody who has ever witnessed…

Today’s blog is by Conservation Scientist, Rob Hughes, on the first, comprehensive report of breeding birds on the Shetland Islands

Shetland’s avifauna is largely known for its globally important seabird populations and rarer UK breeding species such as nationally important populations of red-necked phalaropes and whimbrels, however it’s commoner wader and passerine populations have received less attention.…

Guest blog by Alex Priestley, PhD student in snow science at the University of Edinburgh School of Geosciences as part of the NERC-funded E3 Doctoral Training Partnership.

Our uplands are home to species which are affected by snow cover in many ways, such as mountain hares’ or ptarmigans’ white colours in winter, and rare alpine plants living on ground that is snow-covered for months at a time. But Scottish snow cover…

A new study shows that supporting a declining population of a migratory vulture with captive-reared young birds every year could delay extinction, and thus afford conservationists more time to reduce lethal threats along a migratory flyway spanning three continents. RSPB Steffen Oppel, Senior Conservation Scientist, explains.

Since biblical times (remember Noah’s Ark?) people have entertained the concept that animals…

Poorly designed infrastructure development causes mortality of globally threatened birds along their migratory flyways – potentially causing population declines on breeding grounds in Europe and Asia. Steffen Oppel, Senior Conservation Scientist, explains.

‘Sustainable development’ is a laudable goal of the United Nations to improve livelihoods, but all too often the associated development projects are not actually…

In our last blog about this year’s fieldwork season, we’re highlighting the work taking place overseas in the Gola Rainforest and Gough Island. Whilst very different places, both are long-established projects where scientific input has been critical, whether supporting the forest-edge communities living around Gola Rainforest National Park, or to better understand the impact house-mice have had on the thousands…

Today’s blog is the second in a series of three looking at the start up of the RSPB’s Centre for Conservation Science fieldwork season. This blog is covering the seabird monitoring taking place around the UK’s coasts amidst a cacophony of sounds, sights and smells. From kittiwakes to puffins, diving bonxies and guillemots, here’s what the team’s been up to.

Conservation Scientist, Saskia…

Every year, spring at the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science sees many of our scientists busy in the field collecting vital data. Unfortunately, as with many things, COVID meant last year’s field season had to be cancelled. As restrictions are easing, and our scientists are able to get out safely, field work is back with a bang. Today’s first of three blogs will be highlighting the varied work that the team are getting…

How can evidence be generated from conservation practice? In their latest review, Nancy Ockendon and colleagues seek to raise awareness of opportunities to embed experiments in conservation and restoration management, in order to generate new evidence and ultimately improve practice.

Why do we need more experiments?

It’s widely understood that it is important to consider the available evidence when making decisions about…

Today’s blog is by Senior Conservation Scientist, Steffen Oppel, working out on Gough Island.

Gough Island is a very remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean – part of the UK Overseas Territory of Tristan da Cunha. Millions of seabirds breed on this World Heritage Site, but many are threatened by invasive non-native house mice. In 2021 the RSPB is attempting to restore this island by removing the mice, and a dedicated…

Guest blog by Yann Rouxel, Bycatch Project Officer.

After years of research and limited successes in finding a solution to the accidental catch of seabirds from gillnet fisheries, a new floating device might be part of the answer to this problem. A new paper hot off the press shows that our new device, called the Looming-Eyes Buoy (LEB), could reduce the abundance of a vulnerable species from diving near gillnets.

It is…

Guest blog by Kirsty Franklin, PhD student at the University of East Anglia

If lockdown restrictions have had you missing bustling colonies of seabirds, here is a chance to visit them – albeit remotely – while contributing to an exciting citizen science project called Seabird Watch.

Seabird populations are in decline globally, owing to threats from fisheries, pollution, invasive predators, habitat destruction…

Today (22^nd April) sees the publication of a new Scottish Government marine and terrestrial biodiversity indicator. Mark Eaton, RSPB Principal Conservation Scientist explains how this indicator will help progress towards national biodiversity commitments (such as the National Outcome for the Environment, which is to ‘value, enjoy, protect and enhance our environment’) to be measured.

This is important – we…

By Samantha Lee, RSPB Senior Project Manager for Curlews in Crisis

Today, April 21^st, is World Curlew Day and this year amongst the curlew conversations and celebrations of this charismatic bird we’re launching our ambitious new project – Curlews in Crisis (aka Curlew LIFE).

This is a £3.68 million project supported by the LIFE Programme of the European Union as well as in-country funding partners including…

The 39^th Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) for 2019/20 has been published, Simon Wotton, Senior Conservation Scientist, highlights the key findings from the report.

WeBS is the principal scheme for monitoring the populations of the UK's wintering waterbirds, providing an important indicator of the status of waterbird populations and the health of wetlands.  The survey is run by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), in…

Guest blog by Professor Stephen Wilis, Director of Research in the Department of Biosciences at Durham University

From the melodic tune of the blackbird to the cheerful chirp of the house sparrow, bird song is all around us.

Now, researchers from Durham University are inviting you to become a citizen-scientist and help them track the variety and distribution of garden birds by tuning into the songs.

Can you help with…

An innovative paper led by Louise Mair from the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, and published today in Nature Ecology & Evolution, introduces a brand-new biodiversity metric designed to guide and steer global species recovery. The new metric, STAR (Species Threat Abatement and Restoration), quantifies the contributions that lowering species threats and restoring habitats in specific…

Guest blog by Megan Tresise, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, on her new paper with RSPB Hope Farm, and the Centre for Conservation Science.

Using thirteen years of songbird territory and farm management records from RSPB Hope Farm, research has shown that hedgerow specialists had significantly greater territory densities in hedges adjacent to oilseed rape crop, but lower territory densities with tree…