An international campaign is being launched today to halt the slaughter of Greenland's seabirds just as they begin to breed.

Asian vultures face extinction in the wild within a decade without urgent action to eliminate the livestock drug that has caused their catastrophic decline, scientists are warning. Their decline has been quicker than that of any other wild bird, including the dodo.

(Washington, D.C. – April 30, 2008) Studies of several bird species, including the endangered California Condor, have provided extensive documentation of the health hazard posed to birds that ingest lead ammunition residues in the remains of gun-killed animals. Now, new studies suggest that humans who eat game shot with lead ammunition may also be at risk. A conference to further explore these links, “Ingestion of Spent Lead Ammunition: Implications for Wildlife and Humans,” sponsored by The Peregrine Fund, will be held May 12-15, 2008, at Boise State University. California Condor, Arizona, Bright Angel, Grand Canyon 4th June 2005 © Marcus Lawson “We’ve been studying the effects of condor lead ingestion for years,” said Rick Watson, Vice President of The Peregrine Fund, a conservation organization that leads the California Condor recovery program in Arizona. “Condors are sickened and some die from eating the remains of shot animals. The possibility that other species, including humans, are also at risk prompted us to organize this conference.”

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) is delighted that the government has given full legal protection to Britain's most endangered mammal, the water vole.

RSPB Scotland welcomes the news that the Scottish Government has turned down the Lewis Wind Power proposal.

After a history of illegal bird killing, the Maltese government finally has been ordered by the European Court of Justice not to allow the spring hunting of birds – a practice which is in direct contravention of European bird protection laws.

Climate change is having a greater and faster impact on the Arctic than previously thought, according to a new study by the global conservation organization WWF.

Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI) and Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) have introduced legislation to fund efforts to help protect migratory birds. The act, H.R. 5756, reauthorizes the existing Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA), but at significantly higher levels, to meet the growing needs of our migrants, many of which are in rapid decline. “The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act has a proven track record of reversing habitat loss and advancing conservation strategies for the broad range of Neotropical birds that populate America and the western hemisphere,” Rep. Kind said. “The public-private partnerships along with the international collaboration it provides are integral to preserving vulnerable bird populations. Expanding this program is vital to achieving conservation goals critical to our environment and economy.” Olive-sided Flycatcher, Cook,IL, North Pond,Chicago Sep 14th © Steve Huggins

A new hide for watching White-tailed Eagles has just been opened in the best location for viewing the birds in their Scottish home, announced the Forestry Commission.

Migratory shorebirds, and the wetland habitats they require to complete their annual journeys, are under threat. These are the stark results of a Biological Conservation paper which reports migratory populations wintering in south-eastern Australia have plummeted by 79% over a 24 year period. “Our grandchildren will not be able to share in the excitement of marvelling at the migratory feats of shorebirds if the current decline continues”, said Dr Graeme Hamilton (CEO Birds Australia, BirdLife in Australia).

A survey of the Western Area Peninsula Forest (WAPF) in Sierra Leone has discovered two new breeding colonies of the Vulnerable White-necked Picathartes Picathartes gymnocephalus, in addition to the 16 sites already known.

Conservation efforts have slowed the rate that species are slipping towards extinction, argues a paper published online in Conservation Biology by scientists from BirdLife International and Cambridge University. Direct conservation action has saved 16 bird species from extinction since 1994 and has substantially slowed the rate of population decline for an additional 33 Critically Endangered bird species.

Ten Short-tailed Albatross Phoebastria albatrus chicks have been moved by helicopter, from their current stronghold on Torishima Island to the site of a former colony 350 km to the South-east.

Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU – BirdLife in Germany) is protesting vehemently against the planned destruction of Lake Constance’s only colony of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo.

With an average of 3.60 seen per garden, the house sparrow retained its top spot with starlings coming in second and blackbirds completing the top three.

The Azores bullfinch, the most threatened songbird nesting in Europe, has been given a more secure future after Birdwatch magazine become a 'Champion' for the species through BirdLife's 'Preventing Extinctions' Programme.

Three Endangered Bermuda Petrels (Pterodroma cahow – also known as the Cahow), translocated to Nonsuch Island before fledging in 2005, have returned to the island, and been observed entering artificial nesting burrows constructed for them.

The first volume (passerines) of the long-awaited book by Hadoram Shirihai & Lars Svensson, the Photographic Handbook of the Birds of the Western Palearctic, is now being readied for publication. It will be the most up-to-date work regarding identification, plumage variation, racial identification and taxonomy of the region.

After bringing Africa’s black rhinos spectacularly back from the brink of extinction and securing a future for its once-thought-extinct southern white rhino, one of the world’s most successful conservation programmes is to celebrate its first decade by seeking to extend its operations to more of Africa.

The Shetland Islands, one of Europe's best wildlife spots, are now within easy reach of Southern England.