Britain’s Wildlife Winter Crisis.

With the icy weather predicted to last at least another week, this winter could be the single greatest wildlife killer of the new millennium.

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Feeling chilly? Spare a thought for our wildlife | Photo 02

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uploaded by Paulette Sedgwick

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The savage wintry weather is pushing Britain’s wildlife to the brink of a crisis. The RSPB is organizing emergency feeding of several threatened birds at locations across the UK. Species being helped with this direct action include: bitterns and cirl buntings – all threatened species vulnerable to the impacts of extreme cold. The Society along with other organisations, including the British Trust for Ornithology, Natural England and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, is urging the public not to disturb flocks of wetland birds, including ducks, geese, swans and wading birds. Disturbance causes these birds to expend energy they cannot replace, pushing them to the brink.

Britain’s gardens are an increasingly important refuge for several species of threatened species, especially during icy conditions. Several red list birds use gardens regularly in winter, including house sparrow, starling and song thrush. The icy weather will bring further red-list birds to gardens, including redpolls, yellowhammers and tree sparrows. To help these birds the RSPB is urging as many people as possible to feed garden birds.

The Society is urging Britain’s farmers to spare a thought for threatened birds, such as corn buntings and yellowhammers, on their land by putting out supplementary food, especially in the form of grain tailings or residue’s from last year’s crops.

Buy an extra loaf when you go shopping. Supermarkets are forever selling off out of date bread and cereals at pence which may no longer be ideal for humans but would be ideal for the starving water widlife like Swans and ducks. Many enjoy a walk in the park in the summer to feed the birds and swans but forget about the British wildlife come cold, freezing winters which is when they most need it.

Remember if your feeling chilly then spare a thought for our wildlife and put out some food and water.