Birdwatching
Best places to stay for birdwatchers in 2024
Spend the day spotting birds on the wing then fall asleep to the hoots and calls of the wild in a birders’ paradise
Cley Marshes walk, Norfolk
This easy 3.5-mile circular walk is the best way to observe Cley Marshes incredible wildlife.
How to identify chicks
From baby blue tits and cygnets to cuckoos and ducklings, here is your guide to spring chicks emerging across the UK.
Kingfisher guide: where to see them in the UK
Glimpse the electric blue flash of a kingfisher with our guide to this elusive river bird, including what they look like, where they nest and the best places to see them in the British countryside
Day out: Edinburgh, Midlothian
Discover the best spring birding spots in and around Scotland’s capital, from the inner-city hills, lochs and glens of Holyrood Park to the broad flaxen sands of Aberlady Bay and the rolling Pentland Hills
Guide to swallows: how to identify, where to see and migration
The swallow travels more than 6,000 miles from sub-Saharan Africa to
spend the summer in Britain. Learn more about the extraordinary feats of this elegant bird
Podcast: Go birdwatching with the amazing Birdgirl in Somerset
Mya-Rose Craig – aka the Birdgirl – is a birder and environmental campaigner who works to encourage more young people into nature, especially from minority groups. She talks to Annabel Ross in the new episode of the BBC Countryfile Magazine Podcasts
How to record your local wildlife
Recording the wildlife you spot in your garden or local area can help improve your wildlife knowledge, provide useful data for conservationists and be a very satisfying hobby. Our expert guide explains how to record wildlife and common British species to spot.
How to be a birdwatcher by Mya-Rose, the Birdgirl
Mya-Rose Craig, also known as 'Birdgirl', has been awarded a Bristol University honorary doctorate. Here she shares her best tips for bird watching beginners.
02. Go birdwatching with Mike Dilger in Chew Valley, Somerset
Mike Dilger takes our editor Fergus birding on Chew Valley Lake in north Somerset – find out how they got on in this week's podcast, episode 2, season 1
Britain's tallest bird booms - common crane enjoys record year
Record numbers of common cranes have been recorded in UK in 2018, thanks to successful breeding project
Rare birds 'face UK extinction'
Climate change set to drive breeding species from Britain, warns report
Go birdwatching with Steve Brown on the Isle of Sheppey
Despite its industrial surroundings, Kent’s Isle of Sheppey offers an intimate experience of rare wildlife that thrills Countryfile presenter Steve Brown and his nephews. Here, discover more about what the island has to offer with Steve Brown's guide to the local birdlife.
Top events for International Dawn Chorus Day
As well as being the universal date for all fathers to make terrible Star Wars puns, 4 May is International Dawn Chorus Day.
Long-term conservation project on Lundy Island is a success
Lundy Island’s bird populations, including manx shearwater, puffins, guillemots and razorbills have greatly benefited from a conservation project on the island.
Humber Estuary, Lincolnshire
See how one of the largest tidal estuaries in Britain provides a vital food source for migrating birds
Hale, Cheshire
Treading in the giant footsteps of a nine foot three tudor 'childe' from Hale, a sleepy village on the Mersey estuary