Nature & Wildlife

A new study comparing two large heathlands in Europe has found that prescribed fire can significantly benefit bird species that rely on open heath habitats.

The UK’s uplands have faced a hidden crisis for centuries: severe air pollution. These areas suffered dramatically from industrial emissions, notably "acid rain" that wiped out vegetation and acidified rivers.

The RSPB’s claim that its moorland rewetting programme is boosting bird numbers, including curlew, at its Dove Stone reserve may reflect optimism bias.

Generalist predators like carrion crows and foxes have thrived in modern Britain. Their rise has come at a cost - particularly to our most vulnerable ground-nesting birds.

A study shows grouse moors supported twice as many breeding waders, including curlew, lapwing, and golden plover. Curlew breeding success was four times higher on grouse moors.

Mark Cocker’s bleak portrayal of the moor at Combs Moss as a vast emptiness that “stirs a deep melancholy” is not just inaccurate - it’s irresponsible.

A new report reveals how the RSPB's 2007 management plan for Lake Vyrnwy set specific targets for curlew and black grouse that have largely been unmet.

A new review looks at how “headstarting” - raising Eurasian Curlew chicks in captivity before releasing them into the wild - is being used across Europe to support this much-loved wading bird.

For years, activists have campaigned to end driven grouse shooting. What they haven’t done is explain what they would replace it - or who would pay

If driven grouse shooting ceased, we estimate, using RSPB data that the cost of replacing lost curlew chicks in northern England would be £5,000–£10,000 per fledged chick.

"Conserving Birds and Nature in Wales: Land Management Regimes and Taxpayers’ is a detailed investigation that examines nearly five decades of land management at the Lake Vyrnwy estate in Powys, Wales

Heartening pictures taken in the last few days by keepers in the Yorkshire Dales of merlin chicks and a clutch of eggs.