Curlew faces extinction

The curlew and Dartford Warbler (pictured) face extinction in the UK, according to BirdLife International's new Red List.

BirdLife International has classed the curlew and Dartford Warbler as 'Near Threatened', which is one step below the species facing global extinction.

The curlew Dartford Warbler bring the number of nesting birds in the UK on the Near Threatened list to five; those already on the list are the red kite, corncrake and black-tailed godwit.

The curlew population has declined in the UK by 53 per cent between 1970 and 2005. The global population is suspected to have fallen by 20 to 30 per cent in the past 15 years.

The Dartford warbler has declined, according to BirdLife International, by 40 per cent in Europe in the past 10 years.

Dr David Gibbons, chief scientist of the The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), said: 'The inclusion of widespread and familiar species like the curlew and the Dartford warbler to the list of birds facing trouble is deeply concerning and a warning that we will lose more species without urgent action.'

The RSPB working with partners in the upper Thames valleys, has achieved a 380 per cent increase in curlew numbers, largely by creating the wetland and grassland habitats the curlew needs.

The curlew and Dartford Warbler, however, face extinction in the UK, according to BirdLife International's new Red List.

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