Species

• Badgers and tuberculosis
• Birds of prey
• Eagle owls in the UK
• Game licensing in England and Wales
• Ring-necked parakeets in the UK
• Ruddy ducks and white-headed ducks

Species policy

Birds of prey in the UK: On a Wing and a Prayer Birds of prey are among our most spectacular and well known birds, but remain a controversial subject for some. Birds of prey in the UK: On a Wing and a Prayer is a new report produced by 26 organisations, which attempts to address some of these controversies, relying on fact rather than anecdote. More...

Ring-necked parakeets in the UK The ring-necked, or rose-ringed, parakeet is the UK's most abundant naturalised parrot - it became established in the wild in the 1970s after captive birds escaped or were released. More...

The Great Crane Project An exciting boost for the conservation of common cranes in Britain was announced at the 2006 British Birdwatching Fair, in the shape of The Great Crane Project. More...

Ruddy ducks and white-headed ducks Ruddy ducks are common and widespread in their native North America. They were brought to the UK in the 1930s for captive wildfowl collections. Some young birds escaped from captivity in 1952 and began to breed in the wild. More...

Eagle owls in the UK Recent media coverage has reported on the presence of a small number of breeding eagle owls in the UK. The origin of these individuals is unknown, though there is no evidence that birds other than from released stock have bred in Britain in recent times. More...

Game licensing in England and Wales Defra has reformed game licensing in England and Wales via new regulations amending the Game Act 1831 and the Game Licences Act 1860. Our support for Defra's changes is qualified - we believe that Defra should do more to ensure it is delivering its obligations under the EC Birds Directive. More...

Badgers and tuberculosis The Government is considering a cull of badgers to reduce the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle. The RSPB is currently opposed to badger culling and will not voluntarily grant access for badger control on our land. More...

About the RSPB

The RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment. We rely upon memberships and donations to fund our work. Nature is amazing - help us keep it that way. More...

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Latest news

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The winter arrival of millions of ducks, geese, swans and wading birds is one of our greatest spectacles, but a new report shows the numbers of some birds are ebbing away.

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