A quarter of Britain’s birds at serious risk of extinction

A quarter of all bird species in the UK are endangered, with some facing extinction according to the latest survey.

The annual State of the UK Birds report lists 67 species in urgent need of help, with curlews and puffins among 15 species moved up to the so-called 'red list'.

Image:The plight of the curlew is of particular concern to conservationists

Dr Mark Eaton, principal conservation scientist at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said the report also highlights significant improvements in some breeding stocks, with 22 species moving to the lowest category of concern.

"We see some birds moving off that red list and demonstrating that conservation work can work and turn fortunes around - we just need more of it," he said.

The plight of the curlew is of particular concern to conservationists. A quarter of the world's breeding population lives on UK uplands but its numbers have more than halved since 1970.

Image:The magestic Golden eagle sitting on her nest

Climate change is blamed for the curlews' decline, and for falling numbers of kittiwakes which are struggling to find enough sand eels to eat in seas that are getting steadily warmer.

Puffins have been added to the UK red list after being put on a watch list for global extinction.

Among conservation successes highlighted in this year's report are red kites which have increased tenfold in the past 20 years and golden eagles whose population has grown 16% since 2003 to 508.

The survey relies on records gathered by thousands of volunteers and is produced by the RSPB, The British Trust for Ornithology, and The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.