Surfbirds News

Marine Act will not protect seabirds

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:09:59 +0000

The RSPB has learned the UK Government’s new Marine Conservation Zones will offer virtually no protection to seabirds.

Swift search a screaming success

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:05:41 +0000

A nationwide plea for swift sightings has revealed the critical role that Britain’s householders play in the future of this declining species.

European butterfly species under threat

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:58:35 +0000

Almost one in ten species of European butterflies (37 species) are under threat of extinction and almost one-third are declining according to a major new report from IUCN and Butterfly Conservation Europe.

Herons and cold weather

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:50:59 +0000

The UK is reaching the end of a winter which has been colder and snowier than any for more than twenty years. With the lack of cold winter weather since the 1980s, populations of many small resident birds, such as Wren and Goldcrest, had risen to high levels, but cold periods in early 2009 had already reduced their numbers. Goldcrests in particular were scarce during the 2009 breeding season and their reduced numbers or even absence were widely noted during the autumn migration.

BirdLife Partners call to save the Wadden Sea

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:43:39 +0000

The Wadden Sea is one of the last true wilderness areas in Northwest Europe. Characterised by vast mudflats, it stretches over three countries: Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands and is a complex of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) which are threatened by human activities. In response, three BirdLife Partners - DOF, NABU and Vogelbescherming Nederland (BirdLife Partners in Denmark, Germany and The Netherlands respectively) - have joined forces to fight for the conservation of this area and have published an ambitious report entitled the: ‘Wadden Sea Vision - A vision for the conservation of a Natural Heritage'.

22,000 Scots call for an end to the killing

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:50:04 +0000

A petition, back by almost 22000 pledges from the Scottish public, will be handed to the Scottish Parliament today, demanding tougher action to tackle the illegal killing of birds of prey.

Proposed Legislation Would Prevent Millions of Bird Deaths

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:41:34 +0000

American Bird Conservancy (ABC) applauded legislation introduced by Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) that will help prevent the deaths of millions of birds that collide with windows at thousands of federal buildings across the country.

Potential CITES trade ban for rare salamander underscores wildlife e-commerce

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:33:38 +0000

A little-known Iranian salamander is poised to become the first example of a species requiring international government protection because of e-commerce – a major threat to endangered wildlife that authorities are struggling to address.

Wildlife challenge: England’s lost and threatened species

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:26:45 +0000

Natural England has launched the most complete audit of hundreds of years of England’s wildlife winners and losers to an audience of leading conservationists at the Zoological Society of London.

Sandhill Crane migration live from Audubon Rowe Sanctuary

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:52:07 +0000

Each spring over a half-million Sandhill Cranes congregate on Nebraska's Platte River in one of the world's greatest migration spectacles. Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary invites nature enthusiasts, bird lovers, and photography buffs around the world to experience the inspiring sight and haunting sounds via a live CraneCam. Images can be seen on Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary website at www.rowesanctuary.org.

Long-eared Owls survey gets results

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:44:20 +0000

Surveys to monitor the elusive Long-eared Owl in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset are already showing some interesting results.

Pioneering last stand for rare Silverdale butterfly

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:39:37 +0000

Contractors and advisors from Butterfly Conservation are helping to open up areas of scrub and woodland around Holgate's Caravan Park in Silverdale, Lancashire in order to help protect a threatened species of butterfly: The Duke of Burgundy.

Are predators to blame for songbird declines?

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:32:47 +0000

In the biggest ever analysis of songbirds and their predators, published today in the Journal of Applied Ecology, scientists look at the role of predators in the decline of species such as Bullfinch and Yellowhammer. Whilst a small number of associations may suggest significant negative effects between predator and prey species, for the majority of the songbird species examined there is no evidence that increases in common avian predators or Grey Squirrels are associated with large-scale population declines.

The World's Rarest Birds through the lens

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:25:51 +0000

A new international photo competition covering the world's 623 most threatened birds has just been launched. This is a follow-up to the photo competitions that led to the production of the highly acclaimed Rare Birds Yearbooks 2008 and 2009.

Intentional oil spill in the Po Delta

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:21:22 +0000

Hundreds of thousands of litres of oil are floating on the water of the Po river and are starting to enter the Po Delta, one of the most important European wetlands. The Po delta is classified as an Important Bird Area (IBA), as it is a key site for wintering waterbirds and for colony-breeding waterbirds. Important Bird Areas (IBAs) form a worldwide network of sites for the conservation of birds.