RSPB in rallying call to help save the UK's starlings

THE lowest number of starlings on record have been spotted in the RSPB's long-running Big Garden Bird-watch, the charity said.

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The charismatic garden bird dropped from third to fourth place for the most commonly spotted species in the annual birdwatch, with the RSPB warning it has seen an 85% decline in average numbers seen per garden since the scheme began in 1979.

This year, almost 600,000 people took part in the scheme to spend an hour counting birds in their garden or local green space during the last weekend in January, to help conservationists find out how the country's bird life is faring.

RSPB chief executive Beccy Speight said the latest results for starlings were a "reason for concern".