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Which species need help?
Sadly, the Arctic skua is now in desperate trouble.
A daunting number of bird species in the UK have declining populations. Some populations have already declined to a fraction of their former size. There are still more getting into difficulties.
Birds of Conservation Concern - a report by many bird conservation organisations - identifies 52 bird species in the UK of high conservation priority.
There are also a number of species for which we have a special involvement. These include scarce birds that are not currently declining, but of which a significant proportion of the population is on our nature reserves. Combining these with a few other species of regional importance, we now have a list of 100 species in need of action.
However, we do not have the resources to tackle every species on this list at once. We have therefore had to identify the species most in need of urgent help.
How did we prioritise?
We had to ask some difficult questions, and make some even more difficult choices. We considered a number of factors, including which species could become extinct in the UK without urgent action and what kind of help each species needs.
We considered which species, whilst in need of conservation action, could realistically 'hang on' until the most urgent cases have been tackled. There are also a number of vulnerable species, often rare, that are managing right now, but which we must watch in case something drastic happens. We'll continue to monitor their situation.
You can find out more and see the lists of species in our Safeguarding species report.
Taking species on a journey to recovery
Helping species to a good conservation status is rather like a journey. Every journey is unique, but each passes through the same four stages:
- Identifying that there's a problem, and researching to find out what's causing it
- Developing practical solutions, and trialling them to make sure they work
- Providing these solutions for the whole range of the species
- Reaching improved conservation status
Once the species' status has improved, regular land or marine management should be able to maintain these populations, and further conservation intervention should not be necessary.
We have a great track record of helping species but the journey from first stage to last stage is a big commitment. We can't do it all – but we do have a strategy for how we can make a difference.
Last modified: 22 October 2010