LAST YEAR SAW THE REMOVAL OF MORE dams, weirs, culverts, levees and other river barriers in Europe than ever before, according to Dam Removal Europe’s (DRE) annual report, with 487 removed across the continent, compared to 325 in 2022. This action ha

WE WENT ON A BIRDING TRIP IN THE hills of Nagaland, India, looking for the Naga wren-babbler, a vulnerable species found near streams, whose distribution is restricted to Nagaland and Manipur. We climbed the Khonoma Dzükou Valley trail, which sits at

THIS PREHISTORIC-LOOKING BIRD IS affectionately known by some as ‘king of the marshes’ as it is huge (up to 1.5m tall with a 2.4m wingspan) and resides in the freshwater marshes and swamps of East Africa. Of several common names, the most frequently

1 Name for flowering plants in the genus Gypsophila (5-6) 7 Insect in the order Hemiptera (3) 9 Mite subclass (5) 10 Mountain grouse, notable for its white winter plumage (9) 11 Country of Central America, famous for its biodiversity (5,4) 12 Ray-lik

“Why do you have to give them names?” Flora was mad. “Why can’t you just allow them to be wild animals?” I had just returned from my first Springwatch and was celebrating this small triumph, but obviously the sentiment was not shared by my friend’s e

GREEN SHORE CRABS ARE THE ONES WE are most likely to meet in rockpools or when dangling baited lines from quaysides and piers. A phenomenally successful species, they’re abundant not just in their native European range but in the many other parts of

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How did your career start? I came to wildlife photography through the conservation and research route. Having another day job (or, in my case, a scholarship) is immensely helpful in an industry where making a living can be a challenge. I spent about

BBC Wildlife magazine is full of breathtaking photos and fascinating features on the most interesting animals and habitats in the UK and around the world. With the latest news and conservation issues, practical expert advice and ideas for really wild

MAY IS MY FAVOURITE month in Britain. The countryside is bursting with fecundity as animals seek out partners to foster a new generation. As humans we like to think of these unions as romantic, but the truth is many are shaped by conflict. When males

No one likes being caught wearing a face-pack. This greater flamingo is feeding in one of the many briny lagoons of the Camargue wetlands in southern France, sieving invertebrates and algae from the water. The water levels are low and the pools are m

A fishing cat – a medium-sized feline native to South and South-East Asia – prowls a traditional shrimp farm near the border of Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, Thailand. This rare wetland specialist is well adapted to its watery home, with partially

CORAL IS IN CRISIS AND IT IS PREDICTED that, without action, all reefs could die off in the next 20 or 30 years. A new episode of the Our Changing Planet series for BBC Two, released to coincide with Earth Day, is dedicated to coral reefs, one of the

NEW RESEARCH INTO THE BEHAVIOUR OF chimpanzee mothers, published in Current Biology, shows that they prioritise tickling, chasing and playing with their youngsters, in order to help give them the best start in life. Play is not very common in the wil

The ocean covers more than 70 per cent of our planet, and our June issue celebrates this vast, beautiful ecosystem. We’ll bring stories on shark rewilding in Indonesia, the unique biology of the clownfish, how ferries serve citizen science and coral

REFLECTIVE JOURNALLING and time spent in nature are both activities that are proven to support our emotional wellbeing, but have you ever tried combining the two? Cultivating a habit of nature journalling attunes us to our environment in a different

Discover something new this Spring with our fantastic introductory offers across our diverse range of magazines. Enjoy 6 issues from as little as £9.99, conveniently delivered direct to your door. 6 ISSUES FOR £9.99 6 ISSUES FOR £9.99 6 ISSUES FOR £9

£12.99 WITH 2 PACKETS OF SEED* A Year of Plants is a beautiful, comprehensive guide to the best flowers, shrubs, trees, bulbs and foliage plants for colour and interest in every season. This new edition for 2024 contains more than 245 plants, divided

NEW RESEARCH IN INDONESIA HAS FOUND that a simple-yet-clever device can help restored coral reefs grow as fast as healthy reefs after just four years. The study, carried out by the University of Exeter and partners and published in Current Biology, t

WHAT IS IT? At less than 3mm long, this new species of jumping spider is easy to miss. Yet it’s not hard to find, if you know where to look. WHERE WAS IT FOUND? In the grounds of the University of Exeter’s campus in Penryn, Cornwall. “This doesn’t ha

SOMETHING NOT apparent in The Lion King was Pumba the warthog’s most remarkable magic trick: the ability to disappear. Surprise a warthog in the African wild and it’ll take off like a Formula One driver. Often you can trace its course through the gra

May brings the patter of little feet as red fox cubs explore their surroundings. Sometimes the vixen will have help from a non-breeding female sharing her territory, who is quite likely one of her offspring from an earlier year, so related to the new

EUROPE’S GREEN REVOLUTION DIDN’T last very long, did it? The latest stumbling block was the hullabaloo caused by furious farmers wreaking havoc across the continent. They have been blocking roads, ports and border crossings with their tractors, dumpi

SOME BUTTERFLIES ARE GENERALISTS, able to adapt to a variety of habitats and foodplants, while others have very particular requirements. Perhaps inevitably, the fussy species tend to be most at risk. The Duke of Burgundy is one such rare and precious

WHEN IT COMES TO DANCING AND dressing to impress, flamingos are capable of putting on an extravagant spectacle with the pizzazz to match any West End or Broadway show. These birds of a feather are, of course, dancing together to find a mate for the b

EVERY SUMMER IN ICELAND, AN AVIAN odyssey takes place. A squad of seabird fanatics makes a grand tour of the length and breadth of the country, visiting a dozen or so Atlantic pufn colonies in an expedition known enticingly as the Pufn Rally. In July

Spring 2024 sees the 30th anniversary of the Breeding Bird Survey, a collective endeavour that produces a yearly update on the UK’s birds. Data sent in by keen birdwatchers shows all kinds of changes in our bird populations, such as the stunning incr

A NEW REPORT HAS REVEALED THAT THE number of birds illegally trapped and killed on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus increased to more than 400,000 in the autumn of 2023. The report, published by BirdLife Cyprus and supported by the RSPB and the Com