Top nature triumphs of ‘22

Helping threatened species has always been at the heart of the RSPB’s work. Bitterns, Cirl Buntings, Red Kites, Stone-curlews and White-tailed Eagles are just some of the species which have benefitted from dedicated long-term conservation work by the RSPB and partners.

The RSPB Saving Nature report will be released on an annual basis to highlight some of the progress we’ve achieved for threatened species here in the UK and around the world, so watch out for future editions.

We want to support as many species as possible with the resources we have. To make sure we make the biggest difference for nature we use a set of criteria to choose our priority species.

These include factors like:

• Is the species of significant conservation concern and in real need of our help?
• Does the RSPB have the potential to make a big difference to this species and isn’t duplicating the work of others?
• Can this species act as a flagship? This means if we help it, will we help other species, entire ecosystems and provide wider environmental benefits, including for people?.

Many of our priority species are birds, but not all. We help other wildlife, including plants, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.  

Our conservation work is underpinned by science which helps us understand when a species is in trouble, why it is in trouble, how we can help it and if that help is working.

• Industrial sandeel fishing was excluded from the Dogger Bank Special Area of Conservation in the North Sea – a vital area for sandeels. These small foraging fish are a key part of the marine food web, including as food for other wildlife such as seabirds.
• Little Terns had a good year at several sites, including record numbers at Winterton in Norfolk, thanks to coastal habitat protection and restoration work.
• Cloud forest habitat restoration work on the UK Overseas Territory of St Helena in the South Atlantic was given a boost after 42,000 plants were propagated. This restoration work will help unique species such as the Spiky Yellow Woodlouse, as well as provide wider environmental benefits such as providing more fresh water.
• Bittern numbers continued to rise on RSPB reserves. This included 22 booming males at RSPB Ham Wall in Somerset - twice the number recorded in the whole of Britain in 1997 when Bittern numbers were at a record low.
• The RSPB purchased Glencripesdale nature reserve, an ancient oak woodland on the west coast of Scotland. This is an important step forward in protecting temperate rainforest habitats of the British Isles, which support rare lichens and bryophytes as well as a host of other wildlife.
• Communities and industry helped provide more nesting sites for Swifts. This included the publication of a new British Standard for “integral nest sites” that outlines the ideal design of nest boxes that can be built into the fabric of buildings.
• Curlews had a great year at Glenwherry on the Antrim Plateau, where 69 chicks fledged from 26 nests – the highest fledging success seen on this site for more than 10 years.
• RSPB advisors worked with hundreds of landowners in 2022 to provide improved breeding habitats for Turtle Doves across more than 45,000 hectares of land in southern and eastern England. Alongside hunting bans in France, Spain and Portugal that saved the lives of around one million birds from the western European Turtle Dove population, there’s hope that we can help the Turtle Dove population to recover in the UK.

We know that recovering populations of threatened species can take decades and it is only with continued long-term funding and support that we can do this. This is only possible thanks to our supporters, volunteers, partners, and funders. Thank you.

To dig deeper into the stories above, find out about other projects to save threatened species and discover how you can get involved, read the full RSPB Saving Nature in 2022 report.