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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · 6d

Fascinating article making a reasonable case that this neolithic rock engraving from 2000-5000 years ago in Alta, northern Norway, shows a Great Auk (now extinct) being captured. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · 13d

Three decades of fantastic conservation efforts even in the most challenging of circumstances. We're always humbled by the commitment of those on the ground saving the world's birds and nature more broadly...

BirdLife Europe & Central Asia @birdlifeeurope.bsky.social · 13d

From saving iconic species to publishing the Ukraine Breeding Bird Atlas during wartime, USPB has spent 30 years protecting Ukraine’s nature.

We’re proud to have them in the @birdlifeglobal.bsky.social Partnership and support their work for people & the planet 💛💙

www.birdlife.org/news/2025/09...

30 years of conservation: Celebrating our Ukrainian Partner’s legacy

In 2025, our Ukrainian Partner, the Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Birds (USPB), marks its 30th anniversary.

www.birdlife.org

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Reposted by Stu Butchart

BirdLife Europe & Central Asia @birdlifeeurope.bsky.social · 13d

From saving iconic species to publishing the Ukraine Breeding Bird Atlas during wartime, USPB has spent 30 years protecting Ukraine’s nature.

We’re proud to have them in the @birdlifeglobal.bsky.social Partnership and support their work for people & the planet 💛💙

www.birdlife.org/news/2025/09...

30 years of conservation: Celebrating our Ukrainian Partner’s legacy

In 2025, our Ukrainian Partner, the Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Birds (USPB), marks its 30th anniversary.

www.birdlife.org

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · 19d

Great talk by @rspb.bsky.social CEO Becky Speight to kick off the Avian Odyssey symposium at @nhm.org on the theme of how birds provide a reason for hope. I’ll pick up on this in the global context this afternoon. @birdlifeglobal.bsky.social

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · 19d

This is a game changer for marine conservation. Now we need to build on the momentum and designate high seas marine protected areas to conserve Key Biodiversity Areas @keybiodiversity.bsky.social

BirdLife International @birdlifeglobal.bsky.social · 19d

🌊 A historic day for our oceans! 🌍

With 60 ratifications, the High Seas Treaty will now come into force – a milestone for global ocean conservation.

Let’s keep building momentum and turn 60 into global! #60toGlobal

Discover more 👉 highseasalliance.org/treaty-ratif... @highseasalliance.bsky.social

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · 27d

More evidence of the scale of human impacts: new study documents 220 extinctions (incl. 27 birds) on Macaronesia (Azores, Madeira, Canaries, Cape Verde etc). Post-human colonisation extinction rate >12 times higher. Paper doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf215. Story: www.birdguides.com/articles/ext...

A synthesis of terrestrial species extinctions in the Macaronesian Islands and their correspondence with human occupancy

Abstract. We present the first synthesis of all known terrestrial endemic species extinctions in the biogeographical region of Macaronesia, covering all ar

doi.org

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · 27d

Fascinating anecdote about General Motors and sperm whale oil in this article in @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/news/2025/se...

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · Aug 27

Next month (Sat 20 Sept) I'll be talking about the State of the World's Birds at 'Avian Odyssey 2025'. Come along to the Natural History Museum, London, for a day of fascinating talks www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/... @bou.org.uk @nhm.org @birdlifeglobal.bsky.social

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Reposted by Stu Butchart

RareBirdAlert @rarebirder.bsky.social · Aug 8

Millions of 'Ghost' Pheasants Go Unregistered as Shooting Estates Flout Rules www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/M...

Millions of 'Ghost' Pheasants Go Unregistered as Shooting Estates Flout Rules

New data exposes widespread non-compliance with Pheasant release registration laws - raising concerns over bird flu, biodiversity, and biosecurity

www.rarebirdalert.co.uk

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Reposted by Stu Butchart

Wilson Ornithological Society @wilsonornithsoc.bsky.social · Aug 19

Amazing: Birds may have a previously unrecognized ability to switch sexes. #ornithology

‘Sex reversal’ is surprisingly common in birds, new study suggests

Survey of five Australian avians finds numerous discordant individuals, including a genetically male bird that had laid an egg

www.science.org

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · Jul 8

A paper describing the history of AviList and how the new unified global bird checklist was created has now been published - free to download until 1 September: rdcu.be/euZjH

AviList: a unified global bird checklist

rdcu.be

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · Jul 7

Wow!!

Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · Jul 6

Very cool to see Beaver in Canterbury city centre before breakfast this morning…

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · Jun 26

I'll pass this suggestion on to the team

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · Jun 26

New paper showing Key Biodiversity Areas are valuable in marine environments even for broadly distributed species. KBAs could be recognized for 3/4 threatened & 2/3 non-threatened restricted-range sharks using range maps conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... @keybiodiversity.bsky.social

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · Jun 25

New paper reviewing the world's 10,443 Critically Endangered species: their status, distribution threats and the actions needed for their recovery
www.nature.com/articles/s44...

The status, threats and conservation of Critically Endangered species - Nature Reviews Biodiversity

Species classified as Critically Endangered are at greatest risk of extinction, and their preservation and recovery are crucial to meeting global biodiversity aims. This Review assesses the geographic...

www.nature.com

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · Jun 11

Are there new threats, novel solutions, policy developments, or worrying/encouraging trends etc which may have significant implications for nature conservation and that are not widely known? Please share suggestions for horizon scan of emerging conservation issues. Thanks! #biodiversityfutures

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · Jun 11

Fascinating new paper shows link between penguin poo & weather: ammonia released from guano forms airborne particles that seed clouds, influencing climate processes across Antarctica. Scientific paper: www.nature.com/articles/s43... News article: www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/RealData/Art...

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · Jun 11

Find out more about the background behind AviList www.avilist.org - the new unified global bird taxonomic checklist, and why it is significant at www.linkedin.com/posts/stuart...

Home

AviList is a collaborative global effort to produce a single current consensus taxonomy for the birds of the world, along with key information on taxonomy and nomenclature. The checklist is free for d...

www.avilist.org

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · Jun 11

We've just launched AviList! - the new unified global taxonomic checklist for the world's birds, developed through the Working Group on Avian Classification, including BirdLife, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, IOC and others @birdlifeglobal.bsky.social @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social www.avilist.org

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · Jun 10

Our new paper assesses adequacy of the indicators adopted for the Global Biodiversity Framework. Only 19% of elements in the Goals/Targets are fully covered by the required headline & binary indicators - 40% are fully or partially covered @birdlifeglobal.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · Jun 1

A trio of lovely moths in the garden overnight: my first ever Lobster Moth, the spectacular Puss Moth, and the always pleasing Poplar Hawk-moth.

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Reposted by Stu Butchart

Mongabay @mongabay.com · May 26

Researchers in Costa Rica found that pig carcasses decomposed twice as fast when vultures had access to them.

The absence of vultures led to a doubling of fly populations at carcass sites, which could affect human health, since these flies can carry diseases like botulism and anthrax.

Without vultures, carcasses are slow to rot and disease-carrying flies abound

“Absolutely disgusting, so grim, the worst fieldwork of my life, but also extremely rewarding in a very odd way,” said Julia Grootaers, describing her three months collecting data among rotting pig…

news.mongabay.com

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · May 25

Best night of the year so far for the garden moth trap. This furry-legged Pale Tussock and curious Scorched Wing were the pick of the bunch

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Stu Butchart @stubutchart.bsky.social · May 21

Presumably poachers, as vultures can lead guards to a recent kill by poachers

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