Nature & Wildlife | Featured Articles

Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta on mud, Exminster Marshes RSPB reserve

Avocets reach record numbers

Avocets are a symbol of conservation success, which is why they’re on our logo.

Animal tracks

Even though spotting animals at night is sometimes very difficult, even the stealthiest beasts can leave clues behind.

Magpie Pica pica, standing among red berries, Hampshire

Birds and berries

The intricate relationship between birds and berries has developed into a mutual dependence for survival.

Oystercatcher flock in flight over water.

Why birds flock together

How do birds manage to fly so closely together without colliding, and what are the benefits of doing so?

Why do trees change colour?

Trees are the stars of the show in autumn, with glorious colours and shedding leaves. But why does this happen?

Common Scoter Melanitta nigra, female swimming with ducklings, Forsinard Flows RSPB reserve, Sutherland, Scotland

How do baby birds survive?

Although young birds in your garden being fed by attentive adults might look cute, life is far from easy for birds.

Large fat cake feeder, small suet ball feeder and great tit

Dining out - in your garden

Now is the perfect time to start feeding your garden birds to help with their need for nutritious, high-energy food.

Swallow perched on overhead cable with blue sky in the background

Preparing for migration

Before setting off on their long journey south in the autumn, the many summer birds that visit the UK must prepare.

Starlings Sturnus vulgaris, gathering above reed bed at Ham Wall RSPB reserve

Fill up those feeders

We all know that families squabble at meal times. And birds are no different.

Female Goldeneye Bucephala clangula, swimming, Martin Mere, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

For birds, spring starts here

When the weather is cold, grey and miserable, it can be hard to imagine when winter will end and spring will begin.

Gulls and us

No other family of bird divides opinion as much as the gulls.

Wren Troglodytes troglodytes, perched on small branch, singing

Home, sweet home

Birds only spend a small part of their year building nests, and yet they instinctively build it to a unique design.

White-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla.

Iconic birds soar higher

Scotland's breeding population of white-tailed eagles has risen dramatically.

Ladybird Spider Eresus sandaliatus, adult male placed on finger

Ladybird spiders at Arne

One of the UK’s rarest spiders is settling in to its new home in Dorset.

Jewels in the crown

The RSPB's latest appeal concerns birds of prey. Just what is it that makes them so special?

Kingfisher Alcedo atthis, perched on an old tree stump, Co. Durham

An unexpected garden guest

What's the most unusual bird you've seen in your garden?

Bar-tailed godwits Limosa lapponica, flock at high tide, Firth of Forth, Scotland

Long distance migration

At this time of year, you could liken the UK’s skies to the airspace around a busy airport.

Myth-busting moths

Here’s an introduction to the weird and wonderful world of moths.

Mute swan Cygnus olor, cygnet on adult's back seeking shelter, Langford, Bedfordshire

Nature's dream dads

Here are ten fathers who take their paternal duties seriously.

Grey seals pup and adult female lie on the beach together, Blakeney Point

Nature's greatest mums

Where would the natural world be without brilliant mums? We celebrate nature’s most nurturing and intuitive supermums.

Blue tits Parus caeruleus, juveniles, bathing in garden bird bath. Co. Durham

New feathers, please

Moulting is a process of shedding and regrowing feathers. Adult birds are growing new, warm feathers for the winter.

Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus, adult flying low over the water of an evening, Isles of Scilly

Enjoy a seabird spectacular

Our coasts play host to some of the biggest and best seabird colonies in the world.

Corncrake, Crex crex, at Oronsay RSPB reserve, Argyll, Scotland

Raise a glass to corncrakes

Corncrakes, one of Scotland's rarest breeding birds, migrate from Africa to Scotland every summer to breed.

Seal pups - winter beach babies

Autumn and winter is when most female grey seals haul themselves ashore to give birth.

Sparrowhawk, Accipter nissus, in long grass, Cheshire, UK

Sparrowhawks and songbirds

It is a misconception that sparrowhawks control the number of songbirds- the reverse is in fact true.

Common frog Rana temporaria, resting on log, West Midlands

Tadpole tale

The dramatic transformation of tadpoles into frogs or toads has to be one of nature’s most remarkable achievements.

The 10 best things about summer

Our team have picked out their favourite things about summer, from moths and meadows to thunderstorms and swimming!

Great tit, Parus major, male, perched on branch in garden. Co. Durham.

The voices of spring

During the spring and early summer, it's not just the milk van that will wake you early - it's dawn chorus time again.

Harvest mouse Micromys minutus, adult on wheat, Hertfordshire

Houses for harvest mice

Old tennis balls are being put to use in an unusual way by one of our country’s cutest critters.

Watching at the dragon's den

Dragonflies are stunning insects, reaching speeds of up to 36km per hour. Watching their world unfold is breathtaking.

What do birds do in winter?

Winter is a great time to watch birds flocking together. Their survival skills are tested as food becomes scarce.

Goldcrest Regulus regulus, perched on gorse, RSPB Havergate Island

What do birds eat at Christmas?

Winter is a difficult time of year for birds, the days are short and the nights are cold.

Gannet Morus bassana, pair preening, Bass Rock

Where to see seabirds

Visit the coast in late spring and you’ll find the cliffs are teeming with noisy seabirds.

Worms: a nutritious, healthy snack

Birds of all shapes and sizes enjoy worms.

Jewellery which helps wildlife

A life-long love of nature has inspired Alex Monroe’s latest jewellery collection, created especially for the RSPB.

Sea breaking against rocks, Mull Head, North Hill RSPB reserve, Papa Westray, Orkney.

Meet the basking shark

The second-biggest shark in the world has returned to UK waters. But don’t worry, it’s harmless.

The love life of wildlife

Here are just 10 of the remarkable ways our UK wildlife finds a mate and passes its genes onto the next generation.

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