Entertainment Swindon

A lesser spotted woodpecker, northern lapwing, hawfinch and woodcock are among 15 rare birds found on the Longleat estate in Wiltshire.

The details are released as the estate supports the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend along with incredible close up camera footage of rarely seen birds; sparrowhawk, little egret and spotted flycatcher.

Dr Tom Lewis, Longleat’s Conservation Manager, said: “We have a number of surveys which take place on the estate, and we found 85 species in 2024. In the UK we use the Red List to grade the conservation need of each species, there are three levels Red, Amber and Green. Amber. We recorded 15 species that are on the UK red list which is a list of those declining rapidly and 24 on the amber list of those declining. ”

“It’s really exciting to have this evidence as we work to build our approach to conservation. The results will inform our habitat management and provide a benchmark so we can make comparisons in the future which is vital to measure the impact of the conservation work we undertake.

“The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is a great way of monitoring the birds we are seeing in the countryside and in more urban areas.

“People are asked to spend an hour recording what birds they see; there are many different ways we can all help support the bird population from introducing a water feature to a non-lawn area with bramble and or stinging nettles and other wildflowers.

“Small changes can make a big difference to our wildlife and just enabling wildflowers or nettles to grow, you will be amazed at the extra wildlife you attract.

“As a result of work we have done at Longleat we have already seen beavers, water voles and pine martens making their home here.

“But it’s also important to make sure if you are feeding birds, you are taking great care. Bird feeders, like the one I have at home should be cleaned at least once a week – this stops diseases spreading between different species,” he added.

Longleat holds exclusive Conservation Talks for Members throughout the year – https://www.longleat.co.uk/ticket/member-conservation-talk

And there will be the opportunity to make garden feeders for birds during Longleat’s Winter Wonders Week in February half term https://www.longleat.co.uk/winter-wonders-week

• To find out more about the Big Garden Birdwatch visit https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/big-garden-birdwatch

The full list of birds found on the estate

Bird list

Common name	Species	UK Red List Status	Native Status
Barn owl	Tyto alba		Native
Blackbird	Turdus merula		Native
Blackcap	Sylvia atricapilla		Native
Black-headed gull	Chroicocephalus ridibundus	Amber	Native
Blue tit	Cyanistes caeruleus		Native
Bullfinch	Pyrrhula pyrrhula	Amber	Native
Buzzard	Buteo buteo		Native
Canada goose	Branta canadensis		Non-native
Carrion crow	Corvus corone		Native
Cattle egret	Bubulcus ibis	Amber	Native
Chaffinch	Fringilla coelebs		Native
Chiffchaff	Phylloscopus collybita		Native
Coal tit	Periparus ater		Native
Collared dove	Streptopelia decaocto		Native
Common reed warbler	Acrocephalus scirpaceus		Native
Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo		Native
Crossbill	Loxia curvirostra		Native
Cuckoo	Cuculus canorus	Red	Native
Dipper	Cinclus cinclus	Amber	Native
Dunnock	Prunella modularis	Amber	Native
Eurasian treecreeper	Certhia familiaris		Native
Fieldfare	Turdus pilaris	Red	Native
Firecrest	Regulus ignicapilla		Native
Gadwall	Mareca strepera	Amber	Native
Garden warbler	Sylvia borin		Native
Goldcrest	Regulus regulus		Native
Goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis		Native
Goshawk	Accipiter gentilis		Native
Great crested grebe	Podiceps cristatus		Native
Great spotted woodpecker	Dendrocopos major		Native
Great tit	Parus major		Native
Green woodpecker	Picus viridis		Native
Greenfinch	Carduelis chloris	Red	Native
Grey heron	Ardea cinerea		Native
Grey wagtail	Motacilla cinerea	Amber	Native
Hawfinch	Coccothraustes coccothraustes	Red	Native
Herring gull	Larus argentatus	Red	Native
Hobby	Falco subbuteo		Native
House martin	Delichon urbicum	Red	Native
Jackdaw	Corvus monedula		Native
Jay	Garrulus glandarius		Native
Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus	Amber	Native
Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis		Native
Lesser black-back gull	Larus fuscus	Amber	Native
Lesser spotted woodpecker	Dryobates minor	Red	Native
Little egret	Egretta garzetta		Native
Little grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis		Native
Little owl	Athene noctua		Non-native
Linnet	Linaria cannabina	Red	Native
Long-tailed tit	Aegithalos caudatus		Native
Magpie	Pica pica		Native
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Amber	Native
Mandarin duck	Aix galericulata		Non-native
Marsh tit	Poecile palustris	Red	Native
Mistle thrush	Turdus viscivorus	Red	Native
Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus	Amber	Native
Mute swan	Cygnus olor		Native
Northern Lapwing	Vanellus vanellus	Red	Native
Northern Shoveller	Spatula clypeata	Amber	Native
Nuthatch	Sitta europaea		Native
Peregrine	Falco peregrinus		Native
Ring-necked pheasant	Phasianus colchicus		Native
Pied wagtail	Motacilla alba		Native
Raven	Corvus corax		Native
Red kite	Milvus milvus		Native
Redwing	Turdus iliacus	Amber	Native
Reed bunting	Emberiza schoeniclus	Amber	Native
Robin	Erithacus rubecula		Native
Rook	Corvus frugilegus	Amber	Native
Short-toed treecreeper	Certhia brachydactyla	Amber	Native
Siskin	Spinus spinus		Native
Song thrush	Turdus philomelos	Amber	Native
Sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus	Amber	Native
Spotted flycatcher	Muscicapa striata	Red	Native
Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Red	Native
Stock dove	Columba oenas	Amber	Native
Swallow	Hirundo rustica		Native
Swift	Apus apus	Red	Native
Tawny owl	Strix aluco	Amber	Native
Teal	Anas crecca	Amber	Native
Tufted duck	Aythya fuligula		Native
Wigeon	Anas penelope	Amber	Native
Willow warbler	Phylloscopus trochilus	Amber	Native
Woodcock	Scolopax rusticola	Red	Native
Wood pigeon	Columba palumbus	Amber	Native
Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes	Amber	Native