Rathlin Island off the north of Northern Ireland is now free from feral ferrets that were harming its native seabirds. Conservationists say this is the first time these nonnative animals, which were domesticated from polecats some 2,000 years ago, have been completely eradicated from any island. Ferrets (Mustela furo) were introduced to Rathlin in the […]
Tag: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Half of seabirds are declining. Protecting marine flyways could help save them
Animals that cross borders often encounter conservation systems that stop at them. Migratory species move through jurisdictions with little regard for political boundaries, relying on habitats spread across large distances and governed by different rules. The result is patchy protection, overlapping threats, and declining populations. Seabirds make this problem clear. They range across entire ocean […]
RSPB ‘deeply upset’ by dog attacks on beach colony
Beach wardens have launched a desperate appeal to dog owners after “deeply upsetting scenes” damaged a rare seabird colony. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) report that a flourishing colony of little terns on the Norfolk coast has been disturbed by dogs who were allowed off their leads. PC Chris Shelley, Norfolk […]
Slender-billed curlew, a bird last photographed in 1995, is likely extinct
For decades, the slender-billed curlew, a grayish-brown migratory wetland bird with a long, arched bill, has evaded detection, prompting speculation about whether the species is still out there. Now, a new study has confirmed that the species is indeed most likely extinct. “Speaking personally it’s a source of deep sadness,” Geoff Hilton, conservation scientist at […]
Scottish conservation agency accused of undermining law to protect birds of prey
Wildlife charities have condemned a decision by Scotland’s nature conservation agency to dilute a new law designed to combat the illegal killing of birds of prey. NatureScot, a government agency, has decided to greatly reduce the area of land affected by a new licensing regime for grouse moors after legal threats from shooting estates and […]
Call for tougher policing of Scottish grouse moors on eve of ‘Glorious Twelfth’
Wildlife campaigners are calling for even tougher policing of Scottish grouse moors on the eve of this year’s “Glorious Twelfth”, which marks the legal start of the grouse shooting season. On Monday 12 August moors across the British uplands will echo to the sound of shotguns and estate vehicles. But for the first time, grouse […]