The Rufous Hummingbird, Greater Sage-Grouse, Pinyon Jay, and 67 other birds in the United States are teetering on the edge of disaster, having lost at least half of their populations in the past 50 years. A report released today by North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) calls these birds “Tipping Point” species, on track to […]
Tag: Grouse
Emergency plan to save the capercaillie bird launched as numbers plummet
An emergency plan is being drawn up to save the capercaillie, one of the UK’s most elusive and threatened woodland birds, after its numbers plunged. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said the latest population survey found its estimated population had fallen from roughly 1,114 in 2015/16 to about 542 birds last winter, […]
Extinction clock ticking for the capercaillie with less than 500 in the wild, warn experts
Capercaillie numbers have been falling for decades and despite repeated attempts to boost the population it can now only be found in the Highlands. Experts from the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) said that when surveys started in 1991, capercaillie numbered approximately 2,200 birds, spread from Argyll and Perthshire to the south and west […]
Game over – the Ritz takes grouse off the menu in victory for environment campaigners
From 12 August to early December, it’s usually possible to walk into old-fashioned fine dining establishments across the country and order the rare British delicacy that is grouse, frequently served with bread sauce and game chips. But those hoping to eat the tiny game bird in the gilded Ritz dining room in London will be […]
Pheasant meat sold for food found to contain many tiny shards of toxic lead
Eating pheasant killed using lead shot is likely to expose consumers to raised levels of lead in their diet, even if the meat is carefully prepared to remove the shotgun pellets and the most damaged tissue. A study has found that pheasants killed by lead shot contain many fragments of lead too small to detect […]
Gamekeeper jailed after using dogs to fight badgers and foxes
A former gamekeeper at one of Scotland’s best-known grouse moors has been jailed for eight months and banned for owning dogs for 15 years, after using dogs to fight badgers and foxes. Rhys Davies, from Gwynedd, north Wales, admitted earlier this year that he had used five Patterdale terriers for illegal badger and fox-fighting at […]
Why are people poisoning Britain’s sea eagles when they are such a wonderful sight?
A beautiful white-tailed eagle has once again been a familiar sight for those fortunate enough to live in the flight path of eagles recently introduced to the Isle of Wight. Thousands of Britons have witnessed and heard the gigantic two-metre wings beating overhead, as well as the cruel-beaked birds diving for fish in spectacular fashion. […]
Success for hen harrier protection plan in Northumberland
Wildlife experts have hailed a resurgence in hen harrier numbers following a successful protection plan in Northern England. The Northumberland Hen Harrier Protection Partnership has announced that 18 young have fledged from five nests on Forestry England land and two private estates this year. Northumberland continues to be a stronghold for rare hen harriers as […]