Recovery for Warbler Bird Population

A vulnerable bird is experiencing an extraordinary population revival in the UK, RSPB figures have indicated.

The latest survey of Dartford warblers shows that numbers have soared by 70% since the last count in 1994.

The bird is vulnerable to changes in climate and two harsh winters left just 11 pairs of the bird in 1963.

It has returned to Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia and now there are more than 3,000 pairs - the highest tally for more than 40 years.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds says the recent rise in numbers - to an estimated 3,208 pairs from 1,890 in 1994 - is due both to milder winters and improvements in the conservation of heathland habitats.