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…

Guest blog by Staffan Roos (previously Senior Conservation Scientist at RSPB Scotland) and Jeremy Wilson (RSPB's Director of Science).

A scientific paper, just published in the journal Ecotoxicology, written by scientists from the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, the Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and SASA (Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture) shows that the…

Today, the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (PECBMS) network, comprising sixty-six European scientists, has published a landmark paper describing the methods, outputs and their use in research and conservation in Scientific Data. Professor Richard Gregory, RSPB Head of Species Monitoring and PECBMS project supervisor, explains.

Alongside the paper, the database containing supra-national and national population…

Blog by Victoria Carr, Conservation Scientist 

For guidance on using ENACT to evaluate the effectiveness of your nature activities, please contact Victoria.Carr@RSPB.org.uk 

With spring on the horizon, and the hope of Covid restrictions easing, I am looking forward to a time when staff and volunteers across our reserves can restart their many and varied people engagement activities and events. But colleagues have always asked, which of…

Guest blog by Joe Millard, PhD student based at University College of London and the Zoological Society of London, in collaboration with the RSPB.

A large body of research has shown that global biodiversity is undergoing rapid change, driven by a multitude of anthropogenic activities. But alleviating this change remains an ongoing challenge. Understanding the extent to which people recognise the value of biodiversity…

Guest blog by Professor Chris Redfern, Newcastle University, and Paul Morrison, RSPB Northumberland Coast Site Manager, discussing their new paper on oceanographic factors which are defining the migration ecology of one of Europe’s rarest breeding seabirds.

Roseate terns have a special significance for seabird enthusiasts, being the rarest breeding seabird in Europe, with colonies in the Azores and in northwest…

Hear from Simon Wootton, Senior Conservation Scientist, on his latest paper about the Liben lark population. 

Liben lark Heteromirafra archeri is a ‘Critically Endangered’ species threatened by the loss and degradation of grassland at the Liben Plain, southern Ethiopia, one of only two known sites for the species. With the support of SOS Sahel, IUCN Save Our Species, co-funded by the European Union, a project…

Today’s blog is by Head of People Conservation Science, Richard Bradbury, on his latest paper discussing a toolkit for measuring and valuing the benefits of sites for nature and people.

What is nature worth? If I think of an exquisite pasqueflower or a stirring starling murmuration, the answer is usually ‘priceless’, or ‘it cannot be valued’.  Of course, that is why parts of the world like…

Blog post by Simon Wotton, Senior Conservation Scientist, RSPB Centre for Conservation Science.

Survey plans

The Rare Breeding Birds Panel and RSPB, with the support of BTO, Natural England and many county bird clubs, have been planning to run the first National Turtle Dove Survey, due to start this year subject to Covid-19 conditions. Given the late start of this survey and the proposed reduction in restrictions, we…

Unfortunately, due to the level of restrictions in the current lockdown, and no signs that they will be eased very quickly, RSPB and partners have taken the decision to cancel fieldwork for the national willow tit survey this year. Simon Wotton, Senior Conservation Scientist, explains.

The survey was due to take place from mid February to mid April, but we feel that it is best to err on the side of caution given that…

To reach net zero we need to significantly change our energy systems, including a massive roll out of offshore wind. Unfortunately, the UK Government’s approach to deploying this technology and managing our seas jeopardises both action to decarbonise and deliver ocean recovery. Helen Quayle, Policy Officer, explains why we urgently need a new approach with joint solutions for the climate crisis and the ecological emergency…

Blog by Sean Jellesmark, PhD Candidate at University College of London and the Zoological Society of London, in collaboration with the RSPB.

In this blog, I discuss the article “A counterfactual approach to measure the impact of wet grassland conservation on UK breeding bird populations” which has recently been published in Conservation Biology.

The article shows how data from national monitoring schemes,…