Get yourself Big Garden Birdwatch ready with this handy guide to bird ID in Scotland. The species included on this list were the ten most common birds recorded during last year’s birdwatch. Take a look through for a photo and simple description of each bird, to help you on your way to identifying them all with ease! Happy bird spotting and remember you can get involved with this year’s birdwatch by applying for your free…

Introducing a brand new photography competition!

Are you inspired by nature and wildlife across Scotland? If so, why not enter RSPB Scotland’s photography competition? All donations received will go to support wildlife conservation in Scotland.

Competition Categories

• Giving Nature a Home
• People and Nature
• Animal behaviours
• Wildscapes

The competition is FREE to enter and you  may choose up to 3 categories…

RSPB Scotland’s Allie McGregor shares 3 approaches to a DIY bird feeder.

Five facts you need to know about gannets

Gannets are Scotland’s, and indeed Britain’s, largest seabird. The specific type found here is the northern gannet, identifiable by its bright white plumage, long neck and beak, and distinctive black wing tips. 

Northern gannets come to Scotland to nest and breed among huge seabird cities known as ‘colonies’ around the coast. They migrate south for the winter, between…

RSPB Scotland are constantly looking out how we can ensure visitors, volunteers and staff are all safe on our reserves. Find the latest updates for RSPB Scotland reserve facilities here.

Ian Thomson, Head of Investigations, RSPB Scotland tells us about a shocking discovery which reveals lengths raptor killers will go to to conceal crimes.

The UK is one of the most important places for curlews but numbers here are in decline. Throughout May across the RSPB we will be highlighting their plight. Many people are inspired by these birds - on Shetland two knitting patterns have been created in their honour. 

Knit for Shetland Whaaps

Curlews, more commonly known as Whaaps in Shetland, are part of the fabric of Shetland so we are thrilled that we have two knitting…

Five facts you should know about puffins

'Clown of the sea' and 'sea parrot' are just two of the nicknames that have been given to Scotland's most recognisable seabird. Puffins are small, rounded birds that belong to the Auk family and weigh about the same as a can of Irn Bru. 

The species we have here in Scotland is known as the Atlantic puffin, though there are others found elsewhere, including…

Urban gulls can be particularly noisy at this time of year, especially in coastal communities. In this blog we discuss why this is, the challenges they face and how we can live alongside each other.

Dippers are fantastic little birds to spot and you don’t have to head out into the countryside to manage it either. These plump, plucky birds are a great example of ‘urban wildlife’ as they can often be seen along waterways in towns and cities. I’ve spotted a couple of them now on the Water of Leith in Edinburgh, bobbing up and down on rocks poking out of the river. Dippers have a distinctive white throat and breast…

Swift Awareness Week starts today so in celebration of these birds RSPB Scotland’s Jess Barrett brings you five facts you need to know about them. You can find out more about Swift Awareness Week and find events happening near you as part of it here.

Five facts you need to know about swifts

1. Swifts migrate here from Africa

Swifts spend our winter months away from our cold weather in Africa, undertaking a huge…

Five facts you should know about nuthatches

Nuthatches were once restricted largely to south-eastern England but, during the 20th century, they started spreading north. Nuthatches started breeding regularly in Scotland only in 1989. If you have them visiting your garden, or you've seen them at a nature reserve or while out on a walk, you'll know they're pretty bold and are able to stand their ground fairly well against…

Sheila George, our land use policy officer, spent a week at our RSPB Scotland Forsinard Flows reserve. In this blog Sheila fills us in on how her time was spent and on the amazing landscape that makes up the reserve.

Forsinard Flows: where size matters

I’m recently back from a fantastic week of volunteering at Forsinard Flows. If you haven’t been, here are a few reasons to get up there:

It’s all about scale…

Anne McCall, Director of RSPB Scotland, recently spoke at the European Environment Bureau Conference. Here she reflects on the conference and the importance of co-operation for our environment.

Brexit or no Brexit: the environment needs international governance and cooperation

Anne speaking at the EEB Conference

It's a cliché but also entirely appropriate: the environment really does know no boundaries. …

An update on reports of the dead and injured seabirds being discovered along the east coast of Scotland and England.

Five facts you need to know about whooper swans

One sure sign that the season is turning other than temperatures getting colder and days getting shorter is the arrival of the many species of migrant birds that come to Scotland every year to spend the winter.

One of these is the very beautiful whooper swan - some of you may have been lucky enough to see them (or hear them!) already as the main time they arrive in large…

RSPB Scotland Trainee Ecologist Kirsty Godsman is back with a new blog.

 Bee Beetle Bonanza

I think there is just about enough time left this month to introduce you to July’s beetle of the month.

The bee beetle (Trichius fasciatus)

The bee beetle might just be my favourite beetle (and I don’t make a habit of statements like that if I don’t really mean it!). If ever there was a case for insects being cute and…

Alistair Baxter is completing a PhD investigating the reasons behind Dotterel declines in Scotland. Read on to find out more about his exciting work...

Dotterel declines in Scotland: Out of sight out of mind? 

Over the last thirty years, National Surveys led by the RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have revealed dramatic declines in dotterel numbers across the UK. The most marked results have been the total disappearance…

Jim Densham, RSPB Scotland's Senior Land Use Policy Officer, takes us through a recent decision by Midlothian Council to approve an application for commercial peat extraction.

Peat bog destruction needs to stop – but how?

A site close to Auchencorth Moss where peat extraction is taking place - RSPB Scotland also opposed the application for this site (photo credit: Emma Goodyer)

Last week we heard the sad news…

Red squirrels are Scotland’s native squirrel species, instantly recognisable by their distinctive ear tufts, rust coloured fur and bushy tails. The tail is particularly important as it’s used for balance, communication and as a cosy blanket. 

In Scotland there are around 120,000 red squirrels in the wild and RSPB Scotland is part of a project, called Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS), to protect these…

Today we launched the findings of the Nature Prescriptions Edinburgh trial. Kirsty Nutt tells us more about the project, and what the findings of the trial tell us.

Five facts you should know about robins

Robins are well known and indeed well loved birds in Scotland and across the rest of the UK too. In fact they were recently named the UK’s national bird following an opinion poll organised by David Lindo, aka the Urban Birder.

So, we obviously know what they look like and probably what they like to eat too since they can be such frequent garden visitors. But there’s always…

Five facts you should know about bumblebees

Bumblebees are on the wing in Scotland from March until October. They’re usually one of the first insects to appear in spring, reminding us that warmer weather is on the way – hopefully! 

Bumblebees are sizeable, bright creatures that live in large colonies and actually serve a unique and very useful purpose in our gardens and across the wider countryside. Here…

Ptarmigans are plump gamebirds that are renowned for their hardiness. In the UK, they are only found in the Highlands of Scotland – arguably one of our harshest habitats. 

Ptarmigans live in the mountains, and can survive quite happily at altitudes of up to 4,000 feet! To deal with the conditions in this part of the country ptarmigans have a range of fascinating adaptations, which are perhaps most evident come…

Amanda Biggins, an Assistant Conservation Officer based in Aberdeen, describes monitoring the breeding success of Aberdeenshire’s newest arrival

Crane-spotting

Common cranes have been an annual sight along the coast of Aberdeenshire for a number of years, during spring passage. However, breeding was only proven in 2012, when a pair nested and fledged one chick. This was the first confirmed breeding attempt of…