11 h. ago The RSPB has launched the UK's very own 'Bird of the Year' contest

Eight handpicked species will battle it out for the first-ever ‘Bird of the Year’ title 🐦🆚🦅

Politics

13 h. ago Is Earth on track for a mass extinction? More than 48,000 animals are now at risk of being wiped out, report warns

The IUCN has updated its 'Red List', revealing that three species of Arctic seal have moved closer to extinction.

Events

15 h. ago Red list of threatened species reveals animals that face risk of disappearing for good

The IUCN Species Survival Commission warned many animals face increasing risks of disappearing

Events

17 h. ago Arctic seals and more than half of bird species are in trouble on latest list of threatened species

Arctic seals are being pushed closer to extinction and more than half of bird species around the world are declining

Events

17 h. ago More than half of world’s bird species in decline, as leaders meet on extinction crisis

Biodiversity losses are growing, the IUCN reports as summit opens, but green turtle’s recovery ‘reminds us conservation works’More than half of all bird species are in decline, according to a new global assessment, with deforestation driving sharp falls in populations across the planet.On the eve of a key biodiversity summit in the UAE, scientists have issued a fresh warning about the health of bird populations, with 61% of assessed species now recording declines in their numbers. Continue reading...

Politics

17 h. ago Majority of world’s bird species in decline as nature crisis deepens – experts

Three Arctic seal species have also moved closer to extinction as global warming destroys their icy home.

Events

36 h. ago Shock as world’s rarest parrot declared EXTINCT is hatched at zoo in major breakthrough

A RARE blue parrot declared extinct in the wild has hatched for the first time at a conservation centre, sparking new hope for the species. The Spix’s macaw chick was born at the Centre for the Conservation of Endangered Bird Species in Pairi Daiza, a zoo in Cambron-Casteau, Belgium, on September 21. It is the...

Events

3 d. ago Ominous warning for humanity as birds suddenly adopt 'unsettling' behavior

A disturbing trend among bird species in the US could lead to a mass extinction event that rocks human society forever.

Events

5 d. ago Australian bird of the year: an avian popularity contest with a deeper purpose

Voting is now open in the 2025 poll, but as you cast your ballot, here are some critical numbers to bear in mindGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSee more Australian bird of the year contentBird of the year is an antidote to an increasingly grim news cycle, and a celebration of Australia’s extraordinary and unique native wildlife. But it’s also a numbers game.Taking history as a guide, more than 300,000 votes could be lodged over nine days, starting at 6am AEDT on 6 October, as people from across the globe vote for their favourite Australian bird species for 2025. Continue reading...

Culture

1 week ago ‘She wrote the best first line – and the most chilling stories’: Stephen King on the dark brilliance of Daphne du Maurier

From Rebecca to The Birds and scores of creepy short stories, Du Maurier was queen of the uncanny, writes the US horror maestro‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” It’s one of the most well-known first lines ever written in a novel. Certainly the most memorable; I used it myself as an epigram in my novel Bag of Bones. Daphne du Maurier also wrote what may be the best first line in a tale of the uncanny and outre. Her classic story The Birds opens with this: “On December the third the wind changed overnight and it was winter.” Short, chilly and to the point. It could almost be a weather report.It works so well at the outset of the gripping tale that follows, in which every species of bird attacks humankind, because it’s flat, declarative and realistic. Du Maurier can gin up horror when she wants – see The Doll, The Blue Lenses and the shocking final two pages of Don’t Look Now – but knows that what’s wanted here to instil belie...

Politics

2 w. ago Defra's 2025 UK bird data: Three species which are declining

Official figures show some birds are handling our changing world better than others 🐦

Politics

2 w. ago Farmland birds in severe decline and sharp drop in seabird numbers, figures show

Conservationists have called for action after the latest official wild bird statistics painted a grim picture for the UK’s native species.

Politics

2 w. ago Wild bird numbers continue to fall in UK with some species in ‘dramatic freefall’

Species index fell by 4% between 2019 and 2024 – although government data shows woodland populations beginning to stabiliseWild bird species face an accelerating decline in the UK, new figures show, with some species heading for local extinction.Bird numbers have plummeted since the 1970s, and new government data shows that trend continuing; between 2019 and 2024 the species index declined in the UK by 4% and England by 7%. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago 16 different raptor species recorded flying across Scottish moorlands in fresh study

There are said to be some 20 different bird of prey species in Scotland.

Politics

3 w. ago Australian bird of the year 2025: nominate your favourite now

We want to hear which Australian birds you think should be shortlisted for the Guardian/Birdlife Australia bird of the year poll next monthGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWhich of the 830 bird species that call Australia home (or at least one of their homes) should make it into the 2025 Australian bird of the year poll?Australia has the greatest diversity of avian life in the world, home to nearly one in 10 of the world’s 10,000 living bird species. And we love to celebrate it. Australians are renowned for admiring our beautiful, bountiful and boisterous birds. And nothing highlights that more than the Guardian/Birdlife Australia bird of the year poll, held every two years, when birdlovers around the country battle it out to see their favourite feathered friend take the crown as best bird. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago OAP mistaken for Charlie Kirk shooter as cops arrest him with pants around his ankles

An OAP, who was mistaken for the Charlie Kirk shooter at a uni campus in Utah, is in fact a well-known political activist and trouble-maker, whose long-list of stunts date back to the 1980s

Events

4 w. ago 'Silent killer' could be lurking in your home when you move house

While moving house can be a tedious process, adding these safety measures to your to-do list could save you money, trouble and potentially your life down the line

Events