Weekly Birding Roundup 3 - 9 Jul Jon Dunn looks back at the best birds from the last seven days where Britain's second ever Long-tailed Shrike is found in Fife. Read it here www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/W...

EU moves closer to banning lead fishing tackle after Parliament backs restrictions The European Parliament has rejected an attempt to block new restrictions on lead fishing tackle, paving the way for an EU-wide ban www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/E...

Young gulls' brown plumage acts a ‘no-threat signal’ to adults A study of American Herring Gulls has found that the mottled plumage of young birds reduces aggression from territorial adults within breeding colonies. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/Y...

Is Dotterel about to become the first UK bird lost to climate change? The UK breeding population has declined by 89% since 1988, with the latest national survey estimating just 112 breeding males remain. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/I...

Corncrake slowly edging back from near-extinction in Switzerland www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/C...

Spring songbirds may help pollinate UK trees Research at Wicken Fen found pollen on 89% of sampled birds, with Blue Tits, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs among species helping some spring-flowering trees set fruit. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/S...

BTO bans AI designs from Bird Atlas logo competition The winning designer will receive £1,500, but BTO says entries must be human-made and not drafted or created using generative AI. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/B...

Serbia's Eastern Imperial Eagles reach record level in 2026 Once reduced to a single breeding pair in the country, Serbia's Eastern Imperial Eagle population has risen to 29 territorial pairs this year. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/S...

Scotland appoints first official gull ranger The RSPCA has welcomed the appointment of Scotland’s first official Gull Ranger, describing the role as an example of how communities can take a more constructive approach to living alongside gulls. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/S...

Weekly Birding Roundup 26 Jun - 2 Jul Jon Dunn looks back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic. THis week was headlined by a first for Shetland Read it here www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/W...

Woodcock filmed charging deer to defend nests Researchers say the footage reveals an unexpected nest-defence strategy in a species better known for camouflage and distraction displays. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/W...

Black Stork confirmed breeding in Switzerland for first time A nest with three young in the canton of Vaud provides the first confirmed breeding record of Black Stork in Switzerland. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/B...

Colourful songbirds face higher extinction risk New research suggests the world's most colourful passerines are more likely to be threatened, with the pet trade only partly explaining the pattern. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/C...

Major Gannet colonies may take until 2041 to recover from bird flu New research suggests Bass Rock and Grassholm, two of the world's largest Northern Gannet colonies, face decades of recovery following the 2022 avian flu outbreak. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/M...

Harrier chicks saved from combine harvesters in Germany Twenty-two young Marsh and Montagu’s Harriers have been protected after nests were found in cereal fields during the barley harvest north of Cologne. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/H...

Hen Harrier vanishes on grouse moor after satellite tag is deliberately cut off Hen Harrier disappeared on Ruabon Moor, an area described by the RSPB as one of the UK’s most notorious raptor persecution hotspots. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/H...

WWT Caerlaverock reopens to visitors after closure The Solway wetland reserve will reopen three days a week, with improved paths and hides, new wetland features and a summer focus on dragonflies and wildflower meadows. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/W...

Climate change already reshaping UK bird populations, report warns www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/C...

Weekly birding round-up: 19 - 25 Jun Jon Dunn looks back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the Western Palearctic. Read it here www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/W...

Swifts are more loyal to nest sites than partners www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/S...

Sad news: birder Dean Harlow passed away quite suddenly recently His mother has asked us to let folk know that there is an open wake tomorrow (26th) from 2pm at Stukely Country Hotel PE28 4AL Please pass this on to anyone you think might like to know, his elderly mum has struggled to contact people

Inland Sooty Falcon population confirmed in Saudi Arabia New fieldwork in the AlUla region has revealed at least 38 breeding pairs of Sooty Falcon, confirming successful inland nesting for the species in north-west Saudi Arabia. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/I...

American Black Tern produces hybrid chick in Northumberland The returning American Black Tern at Long Nanny has produced a hybrid chick with an Arctic Tern, following several summers of close association with the Northumberland colony. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/A...

Italy moves closer to expanding hunting of migratory birds A controversial reform of Italy's hunting law could allow shooting in protected areas, reopen pressure on Alpine migration routes and reduce penalties for hunting offences. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/I...

Vandalism and illegal activity damage Essex nature reserves during breeding season www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/V...

Fair Isle Bird Observatory officially reopened seven years after devastating fire www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/F...

Bird surveys enter the AI age, but drone disturbance concerns remain A global dataset shows AI can speed up drone bird surveys, but research warns drones may still disturb sensitive species. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/B...

Roseate Terns nest in Dublin Port for the first time The development has been described by BirdWatch Ireland as a significant and welcome surprise for the city's long-running tern conservation work. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/R...

Weekly birding round-up: 12 - 18 Jun Headlined by Britain’s 1st Western Reef Heron continuing its Welsh wanderings and a Zitting Cisticola in Kent. Plus Squacco Heron, White-billed Diver, Caspian Terns, Red-footed Falcons, late spring passerines and more www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/w...

Could AI replace some bird ringing for individual identification? Researchers working with Cerulean Warblers are developing a tool that could allow scientists to recognise returning birds by voice, reducing the need to recapture and re-identify them. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/C...

More vultures dead as Africa's poisoning crisis worsens Vulture Conservation Foundation reports that two separate incidents in Botswana and Senegal have added to a growing toll of vulture deaths across Africa in 2026. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/M...

Manakins' dazzling dances may have begun with a shift to fruit A new genomic study suggests that the spectacular courtship displays of Manakins were preceded by ancient changes in diet, taste and digestion. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/M...

Short-tailed Albatross passes 11,000 after near-extinction Once feared lost, the North Pacific seabird has continued its long recovery, with the latest Japanese count recording more than 11,000 birds in 2026. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/S...

Black Guillemot returns as a breeding bird in Germany After a long absence as a confirmed breeder, the Black Guillemot has again been raising young on Germany's Baltic coast. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/B...

Following the Cuckoo beyond the summer song Newly tagged Cuckoos from England, Scotland and Ireland are preparing to leave their breeding grounds, as BTO scientists continue a 15-year project to uncover the hazards facing the enigmatic species www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/F...

Some positive conservation news to start your week... Heathland birds survey records increases for three key species www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/H...

Peacock named Britain's favourite butterfly after national public vote www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/P...

Weekly Birding Roundup 5 - 11 Jun Jon Dunn looks back on a week which headlined by a first for Britain in Gwynedd Read it here www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/w...

Scientists develop new method to track individual bird species migrating at night www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/S...

BirdLife awarded £7.5 million to protect African-Eurasian Flyway www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/B...

More than 850 Lesser Grey Shrikes released in Catalonia with limited results www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/M...

Police appeal after Raven shot dead in Essex www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/P...

GPS tags reveal gull behaviour around offshore turbines www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/G...

RSPB Scotland secures ownership of Bass Rock and Craigleith www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/R...

The man who made caterpillars glow in the dark An amateur lepidopterist's discovery is changing how conservationists search for some of Britain’s most elusive butterflies. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/T...

Nearly 600 Duke of Burgundy butterflies counted in Kent www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/N...

Parrot seen only once in last 100 years refound on Indonesian island www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/P...

Red-shouldered Hawk parents invest more in daughters www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/R...

Clearcutting silences resident birds in boreal forests Research shows that intensive clearcutting reduces the vocal activity of year-round forest birds, with Crested Tit, Treecreeper and Goldcrest among the species most affected. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/C...

Contractors destroy Swift nesting site during breeding season www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/C...