Bernie's Blog

Starlings are ready to steal the show

Even Strictly can’t compete with this sparkling spectacle! Over the following months, you could see murmurations all over, from nature reserves to supermarket car parks.

 November spectaculars 

Winner of The Earthshot Prize 2024!

We’re delighted that the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative is a winner of this prestigious prize founded by Prince William. The award recognises the initiative’s efforts to conserve and restore the rare habitats of Kazakhstan. Co-founded by the RSPB, it has been instrumental in the remarkable recovery of Saiga Antelopes.

 Why Altyn Dala won 

New report reveals worrying declines in shorebirds

Our coastlines offer a feast for shorebirds through the colder months. However, populations of four UK species have plummeted by at least 20% since 2000, and one bird has moved from Least Concern to Vulnerable in the IUCN’s (International Union for Conservation of Nature) latest global Red List update. We look at the birds at risk and why we need to protect UK shores.

 Which shorebirds?
 

Good news for Hen Harriers as Orkney Native Wildlife Project’s final phase is in sight

The Orkney Native Wildlife Project is the first of its kind: it’s the largest eradication programme to take place on inhabited islands.

A team of four-legged, furry conservationists have been sniffing out signs of Stoats – and as a result, numbers of ground-nesting birds, like Curlews and Hen Harriers, as well as Orkney Voles are on the up.

 Read the latest
 

You can help to save rare birds in just a few minutes!

Up on the Cairngorm mountains, rare birds – like Dotterels, Snow Buntings and Ptarmigan – raise their broods at height. But they’re being pushed to their limits.

RSPB Abernethy has been shortlisted in the Wild Places category for funding from the European Outdoor Conservation Association. Vote now to help us better protect the vulnerable montane habitats these birds need.

 Vote now 

‘Just one breeding pair left’: the birds that bounced back

From Black-tailed Godwits to albatrosses, we’re helping birds to thrive both on our nature reserves and out in the world at large. Join us as we share some species success stories to celebrate the Natural History Museum’s current exhibition, Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre.

 See the colossal comebacks 

Plans for bird superhighway works in Iceland

In this blog, we join Nick Williams, RSPB Flyway Conservation Outreach Officer, in Iceland. The wetlands here are the breeding grounds for many of the birds arriving on our shores in winter, like Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks. Nick discusses the threats they face and the work that will help to restore their precious breeding habitats.

 Take a tour 

And finally...

Farming the fells at RSPB Geltsdale

The team at RSPB Geltsdale are farming in a nature-friendly way and restoring the Howgill Beck flood plain.

Go behind the scenes in our latest explainer; you’ll see how the mosaic of wetland, woodland, and grassland benefits both wildlife and livestock, all while building climate resilience.

 Watch now