Endangered animals that have been seen across Worcestershire in 2022

The public has been recording their findings on the iNaturalist website which shows the amazing species which have made the county their home. 

According to iNaturalist, there have been four 'threatened' birds spotted across the county in 2022.

Eurasian Curlew

(Martin Hayward-Smith/PA)

A Eurasian Curlew was last spotted in Worcestershire on February 6, in Upton Warren Flashes.

Formerly classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN, it was suspected to be rarer than generally assumed.

Following the evaluation of its population size, the classification was found to be incorrect, and it was consequently promoted to Near Threatened status in 2008.

In the twenty years up to 2016, the population is estimated to have declined by more than 50% in England and Scotland.

Northern Lapwing

Northern Lapwing.

A Northern lapwing was observed on February 6, also in Upton Warren Flashes. 

The northern lapwing, also known as the peewit, tuit, green plover, or pyewipe, is a bird in the lapwing subfamily, common through temperate Eurosiberia.

National surveys of England and Wales have shown a population decline between 1987 and 1998, and since 2009 the northern lapwing has had red list conservation status in the United Kingdom. 

The numbers of this species have been adversely affected by intensive agricultural techniques.

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Eurasian Oystercatcher

A Eurasian Oystercatcher was last spotted in Worcestershire on February 6, in Upton Warren Moors.

The Eurasian oystercatcher, also known as the common pied oystercatcher, or palaearctic oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae.

Because of its large numbers and readily identified behaviour, the oystercatcher is an important indicator species for the health of the ecosystems where it congregates, hence its threatened status. 

Redwing

Redwing

A Redwing was last spotted in Worcestershire on February 26, at Hanbury Hall in Droitwich.

The English name comes from the bird's red underwing. 

The species is believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List, and is therefore precautionarily uplisted to near threatened. 

Numbers can be adversely affected by severe winters, which may cause heavy mortality, and cold wet summers, which reduce breeding success.

iNaturalist s a joint initiative by the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society and has a community of over a million scientists and naturalists, who record and share observations.