Wildlife populations monitored around the world have declined by an average of 73% since 1970, according to the latest Living Planet Index, although experts warn that major gaps in monitoring limit what can be concluded about the state of nature: bit.ly/4yzrdN8

European Storm Petrels appear to forage most actively offshore on the darkest nights, according to new research into the nocturnal behaviour of the tiny seabird: bit.ly/3WG0RvC

A Red Kite has died after being found with gunshot injuries in the Peak District National Park, prompting a police appeal for information about the incident: bit.ly/4BkTJoy

One of the biggest twitches in British birding history is expected to kick off this weekend after the discovery of a Slender-billed Nutcracker in a Norfolk garden. Full story: bit.ly/4z6YyjE

Rarity finders: Rufous-tailed Robin in East Yorkshire After seven weeks birding in the Outer Hebrides, Zak Spaull headed to Flamborough hoping for a late-season rarity. His decision delivered one of the most desired of all megas: bit.ly/4BeOaYC

Beach-nesting birds on the Norfolk coast are set to benefit from new funding for conservation work, with an initial £384,000 award supporting projects aimed at protecting Little Tern, Ringed Plover and other coastal species: bit.ly/4hZObrV

The area of suitable wintering habitat for Wallcreepers in Switzerland could expand by as much as 244% by the end of the century under a high-emissions climate scenario: bit.ly/4jSZd3J

Simple deterrent devices tested by Cornish fishers have substantially reduced seabird bycatch in gillnets, offering a potential way of tackling one of the major threats facing diving seabirds without preventing fishing activity: bit.ly/4BbRvHW

Sandwich Tern, Little Tern and Black-headed Gull all enjoyed excellent breeding success at Pagham Harbour in 2026, according to the RSPB: bit.ly/4zFVIC3

A long-term study of Short-eared Owl in Finland has linked agricultural intensification to the species' decline: bit.ly/4BdqST5

More than half a million Chinstrap Penguins have been lost from Zavodovski Island since 2011, according to new research documenting a major change in one of the world's most important seabird colonies: bit.ly/3THFVDK

The Birds of Budle Bay review This book is testament to a lifetime of patch-watching, as well as the sheer scale and variety of birdlife that comes and goes with the changing seasons, says Alan Tilmouth: bit.ly/4yy39um

Black-winged Kite has bred successfully in Flanders for the first time, with 10 pairs nesting in Belgium as a whole this summer: bit.ly/4saHQxn

The UK is off track to meet its global commitment to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, according to a new report from The Wildlife Trusts: bit.ly/4Bgea60

A voluntary protection zone has been introduced on the Isle of Wight in an effort to reverse a decline in wintering Sanderlings along the coast between Ryde and Seaview: bit.ly/47CTDet

Review of the Week: 12-18 October 2026 A barnstorming few days peaked with Black-capped Petrel, Chestnut Bunting, Double-crested Cormorant and Greater Yellowlegs. Sam Viles rounds up the action: bit.ly/4yqj0uD

A wonderful Grey Phalarope image takes the latest Photo of the Week crown: bit.ly/3U7r45r

Bonus podcast! With now the peak time to enjoy visible migration, David Campbell takes a look at typical flight calls of autumn thrushes, from Redwing to Ring Ouzel: bit.ly/4k5tvjs

Diggers have moved into former arable fields at Speechly's Farm in Cambridgeshire as work begins to create 136 ha of new wetland habitat – an area almost the size of Hyde Park: bit.ly/47iI4sG

Reintroduction programmes in Austria and Germany are successfully returning Ural Owl to parts of its former range, with released birds now breeding in the wild and populations becoming established: bit.ly/4zrLd5d