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Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

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"RSPB" redirects here. Not to be confused withRailways Sports Promotion Board.

TheRoyal Society for the Protection of Birds(RSPB) is acharitable organisationregistered inEngland and Wales[1]and inScotland.[2]It was founded in 1889. It works to promoteconservationand protection ofbirdsand the widerenvironmentthrough public awareness campaigns,petitionsand through the operation ofnature reservesthroughout the United Kingdom.[3]

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Formation1889(1889),Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden,Manchester
TypeConservationcharity
HeadquartersThe Lodge,Sandy, Bedfordshire, England
2 Lochside View, Edinburgh, Scotland
Area served
United Kingdom
President
Dr Amir Khan
Key people
  • Kevin Cox(Chairman)
  • Beccy Speight(Chief Executive)
Revenue
Increase£157.7 millionGBP(2022)
Staff2,231 (in 2022)
Volunteers(2022)
10,500
Websiterspb.org.uk

In 2021/22 the RSPB had revenue of £157 million, 2,200 employees, 10,500 volunteers and 1.1 million members (including 195,000 youth members), making it one of the world's largest wildlife conservation organisations.[4]The RSPB has many local groups and maintains 222 nature reserves.

History

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Plaque at Fletcher Moss Park, Manchester, commemorating the foundation of the RSPB

The origins of the RSPB lie with two groups of women, both formed in 1889:

The groups gained in popularity and amalgamated in 1891 to form the Society for the Protection of Birds in London.[8]The Society gained its Royal Charter in 1904.[9]

The original members of the SPB were all women[10]who campaigned against the fashion of the time for women to wear exotic feathers in hats, and the consequent encouragement of "plume hunting".To this end the Society had two simple rules:[8]

  • That Members shall discourage the wanton destruction of Birds, and interest themselves generally in their protection
  • That Lady-Members shall refrain from wearing the feathers of any bird not killed for purposes of food, the ostrich only excepted.

At the time of founding, the trade in plumage for use in hats was very large: in the first quarter of 1884, almost 7,000bird-of-paradiseskins were being imported to Britain, along with 400,000 birds fromWest IndiaandBrazil,and 360,000 birds fromEast India.[11]

In 1890, the society published its first leaflet, entitledDestruction of Ornamental-Plumaged Birds,[12]aimed at saving theegretpopulation by informing wealthy women of the environmental damage wrought by the use of feathers in fashion. A later 1897 publication,Bird Food in Winter,[13]aimed to address the use of berries as winter decoration and encouraged the use of synthetic berries to preserve the birds food source. In 1897 the SPB distributed over 16,000 letters and 50,000 leaflets and by 1898 had 20,000 members.[14]

The Society attracted support from some women of high social standing who belonged to the social classes that popularised the wearing of feathered hats, including theDuchess of Portland(who became the Society's first President) and theRanee of Sarawak.As the organisation began to attract the support of many other influential figures, both male and female, such as theornithologistProfessorAlfred Newton,it gained in popularity and attracted many new members. The society received aRoyal Charterin 1904[8]fromEdward VII,just 15 years after its founding, and was instrumental in petitioning theParliament of the United Kingdomto introduce laws banning the use ofplumagein clothing.[6]

At the time that the Society was founded in Britain, similar societies were also founded in other European countries.[15][which?]In 1961, the society acquiredThe LodgeinSandy, Bedfordshire,as its new headquarters.[6]The RSPB's logo depicts anavocet.The first version was designed byRobert Gillmor.[16]

Activities

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Anavocetat the RSPB'sMinsmere reserve.This species is used in the RSPB's logo.

Today, the RSPB works with both thecivil serviceand theGovernmentto advise Government policies on conservation andenvironmentalism.[17]It is one of several organisations that determine the officialconservation statuslist for all birds found in the UK.

The RSPB does not run bird hospitals nor offer animal rescue services.[18]

The RSPB entered into a partnership with UK housebuilder Barratt Developments in 2014.

Reserves

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South Stackreserve,Anglesey,with Ellin's Tower, housing avisitor centre
Awebcaminstalled nearSumburgh Headlighthouse, Shetland. The cliffs are home to large numbers of seabirds and the area is an RSPB nature reserve.

The RSPB maintains over200 reservesthroughout the United Kingdom, covering a wide range ofhabitats,fromestuariesandmudflatstoforestsandurban habitats.[19]The reserves often havebird hidesprovided forbirdwatchersand many providevisitor centres,which include information about the wildlife that can be seen there.[20]

Awards

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The RSPB confers awards, including the President's Award, for volunteers who make a notable contribution to the work of the society.

RSPB Medal

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Main article:RSPB Medal

According to the RSPB:

The RSPB Medal is the Society's most prestigious award. It is presented to an individual in recognition of wild bird protection and countryside conservation. It is usually awarded annually to one or occasionally two people.[21]

Magazines

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The RSPB has published a members-only magazine for over a century.

Bird Notes

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Bird Notes
Cover of Autumn 1946 issue ofBird Notes,Vol. 23, No. 3
DisciplineOrnithology
LanguageEnglish
Publication details
History1903(1903)–1966
Publisher
RSPB (United Kingdom)
Standard abbreviations
ISO 4Bird Notes
Inde xing
ISSN0406-3392
Advert forBird Notes and Newsfrom the March 1934 edition ofNorth Western Naturalistmagazine. Note early logo.

Bird Notes and News(ISSN0406-3392) was first published in April 1903.

The title changed toBird Notesin 1947. In the 1950s, there were four copies per year (one for each season, published on the 1st of each third month, March, June, September and December). Each volume covered two years, spread over three calendar years. For example, volume XXV (25), number one was dated Winter 1951, and number eight in the same volume was dated Autumn 1953.

From the mid-1950s, many of the covers were byCharles Tunnicliffe.Two of the originals are on long-term loan to the Tunnicliffe gallery atOriel Ynys Môn,but in 1995 the RSPB sold 114 at aSotheby'sauction, raising £210,000, the most expensive being a picture of a partridge which sold for £6,440.[22]

From January 1964 (vol. 31, no. 1), publication increased to six per year, (issued in the odd-numbered months, January, March and so on, but dated "January–February", "March–April", etc.). Volumes again covered two years, so vol. 30, covering 1962–63, therefore included nine issues, ending with the "Winter 1963–64" edition instead of eight. The final edition, vol. 31 no. 12, was published in late 1965.

Editors
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  • Miss M. G. Davies, BA, MBOU (for many years, until vol. 30 no. 9)
  • John Clegg (from vol. 31 No. 1 – vol. 31 no. 3)
  • Jeremy Boswell (from vol. 31 no. 4 – vol. 31 no. 12)

Birds

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Birds
DisciplineOrnithology
LanguageEnglish
EditedbyMark Ward
Publication details
History1966(1966)–2013(2013)
Publisher
RSPB (United Kingdom)
FrequencyQuarterly
Standard abbreviations
ISO 4Birds
Inde xing
ISSN1367-983X
Links

Bird Notes'successorBirds(ISSN1367-983X) replaced it immediately, with volume 1, number 1 being the January–February 1966 edition. Issues were published quarterly, numbered so that a new volume started every other year.

The Autumn 2013 edition, dated August–October 2013, being vol. 25 no. 7, was the last.[23]

Nature's Home

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Nature's Home
DisciplineOrnithology
LanguageEnglish
EditedbyMark Ward
Publication details
History2013(2013)–present
Publisher
RSPB (United Kingdom)
FrequencyQuarterly
Standard abbreviations
ISO 4Nat.'s Home
Inde xing
ISSN2054-3433
Links

In Winter 2013Birdswas replaced by a new magazine,Nature's Home.The editor was Mark Ward. The magazine had an ABC-certified circulation of 600,885.[24]

The RSPB Magazine

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With the Summer/Autumn 2022 issue, the magazine has been re-titled.

Junior divisions

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The RSPB has two separate groups for children and teenagers: Wildlife Explorers (founded in 1943 as the Junior Bird Recorders' Club; from 1965 to 2000 the YoungOrnithologists' Club or YOC[6]) and RSPB Phoenix. Wildlife Explorers is targeted at children aged between 8 and 12, although it also has some younger members,[25]and has two different magazines:Wild Timesfor 0–7-year-olds, andWild Explorerfor 8–12-year-olds. RSPB Phoenix is aimed at teenagers, and producesWingbeatmagazine, which is primarily written by young people for young people.[26]The RSPB is a member of TheNational Council for Voluntary Youth Services.[27]

Big Garden Birdwatch

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RSPB organises bird record data collection in annual collective birdwatching days in Britain. The RSPB describes this as the "world's biggest wildlife survey" and helps inform conservationists to gain a better knowledge on bird population trends in gardens in Britain.[28]The Big Garden Birdwatch was launched as a children's activity in 1979, but from 2001 it encouraged adults to partake as well. In 2011, over 600,000 people took part, only 37% of whom were RSPB members. This event usually takes place in the last weekend of January. From the start of this annual survey records forhouse sparrowsshowed a decline of 60%, whilestarlingpopulations declined by about 80% from 1979 to 2012.[28]

In 2022, nearly 700,000 people took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch, counting more than 11 billion birds.[29]

BirdTrack

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BirdTrackis an onlinecitizen sciencewebsite, operated by theBritish Trust for Ornithology(BTO) on behalf of a partnership of the BTO, the RSPB,BirdWatch Ireland,theScottish Ornithologists' Cluband theWelsh Ornithological Society(Welsh:Cymdeithas Adaryddol Cymru).[30][31]

Finances

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The RSPB is funded primarily by its members; in 2006, over 50% of the society's £88 million income came fromsubscriptions,donationsandlegacies,worth a total of £53.669 million.[32]As aregistered charity,the organisation is entitled togift aidworth an extra £0.25 on every £1.00 donated byincome taxpayers.[33]The bulk of the income (£63.757 million in 2006) is spent on conservation projects, maintenance of the reserves and on education projects, with the rest going on fundraising efforts and reducing the pension deficit, worth £19.8 million in 2006.

Advertising

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It was reported in an article inThe Daily Mailon 2 November 2014 that claims that the charity "was spending 90 per cent of its income on conservation" by theUK Advertising Standards Authoritywere incorrect. The article claimed that the true figure was closer to 26%. TheCharity Commissioninvestigated the claims, and contacted the RSPB to get it to clarify its web statement. The RSPB complied, with the clarification that 90% of its net income (after expenses, not gross income as received) was spent on conservation, and that conservation activities were diverse, not limited to spending on its own nature reserves. This was accepted by the Charity Commission.[34]

Patrons

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Presidents

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Winifred Cavendish-Bentinck,Duchess of Portland, painted byPhilip Alexius de Lászlóin 1912

Chief officers

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Over time, the organisation'schief officershave been given different titles.[6][36]

Associate organisations

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The RSPB is a member ofWildlife and Countryside Link.[40]The RSPB is the UK Partner ofBirdLife International[41]and manages theSouth Atlantic Invasive Species Projecton behalf of the partner governments.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^"Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, registered charity no. 207076".Charity Commission for England and Wales.
  2. ^"Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Registered Charity no. SC037654".Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
  3. ^"What does the RSPB do?".RSPB. Archived fromthe originalon 2 January 2007.Retrieved19 February2007.
  4. ^"Annual Report 2021-2022"(PDF).RSPB.Retrieved28 January2023.
  5. ^Penna (1999),p. 99.
  6. ^abcde"Milestones".RSPB.Retrieved19 February2007.
  7. ^"Fin, Fur and Feather leaflet".Bodleian Library.Retrieved18 December2022.
  8. ^abc"A history of the RSPB, from its humble beginnings, to the thriving far-reaching organisation it is today".Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.Retrieved13 February2017.
  9. ^"Charter and Statutes".RSPB.Retrieved3 February2016.
  10. ^"Five women who founded the RSPB - Natures Home magazine uncovered - Our work - The RSPB Community".ww2.rspb.org.uk.Retrieved30 July2018.
  11. ^Adams (2004),p. 189.
  12. ^Phillips, Eliza (1890). Destruction of Ornamental-Plumaged Birds (Report).
  13. ^Phillips, Eliza (1897). Bird Food in Winter (Report).
  14. ^Jonathan Burt."Phillips [née Barron], Eliza [known as Mrs Edward Phillips] (1822/3–1916)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/50752.Retrieved19 October2012.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  15. ^Boardman (2006),p. 36.
  16. ^"".Springwatch.Season 2018. Episode 5. 4 June 2018.BBC Television.Retrieved4 June2018.
  17. ^"Working Together: Government".RSPB. Archived fromthe originalon 3 January 2007.Retrieved19 February2007.
  18. ^"Frequently asked questions".RSPB.Retrieved19 October2017.
  19. ^"Reserves by habitat".RSPB. Archived fromthe originalon 20 February 2007.Retrieved20 February2007.
  20. ^"Frequently Asked Questions".RSPB. Archived fromthe originalon 20 February 2007.Retrieved20 February2007.
  21. ^Reynolds, James (23 August 2007)."Gifted naturalist is awarded prestigious RSPB medal".RSPB.Retrieved10 October2011.
  22. ^RSPBBirdsmagazine, Vol 16 No 01, February–April 1996, page 10
  23. ^Ward, Mark (Autumn 2013). "Introducing your new magazine,Nature's Voice".Birds.25(7).ISSN1367-983X.
  24. ^Ward, Mark (30 September 2013)."Nature's Home is coming..."RSPB.Retrieved15 October2013.
  25. ^"About youth groups".RSPB. Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2007.Retrieved20 February2007.
  26. ^"RSPB Family membership - Join Us".
  27. ^"Full list of NCVYS members".Ncvys.org.uk. Archived fromthe originalon 12 May 2013.Retrieved31 January2014.
  28. ^abBirds,Spring 2013, vol. 25, nº5. February – April 2013, page 18.
  29. ^"Annual bird count in UK gardens raises hopes for greenfinch".the Guardian.8 April 2022.Retrieved1 July2022.
  30. ^"BirdTrack partners".British Trust for Ornithology.Retrieved25 April2016.
  31. ^"Bird Track".National Biodiversity Network.26 January 2016.Retrieved25 April2016.
  32. ^RSPB Annual ReportArchived28 November 2007 at theWayback Machine,2005–2006. Retrieved 19 February 2007.
  33. ^"Gift Aid".RSPB. Archived fromthe originalon 22 February 2007.Retrieved19 February2007.
  34. ^Iles, Harry."RSPB - 207076"(PDF).Charity Commission.Archived(PDF)from the original on 22 January 2015.Retrieved15 May2016.
  35. ^ab"The RSPB honoured to have His Majesty, The King as new Royal patron".The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.9 May 2024.Retrieved31 July2024.
  36. ^abcRSPBBirdsmagazine, Vol 13 No 7, Autumn 1991
  37. ^Jamieson, Alastair (3 October 2009)."Springwatch star Kate Humble appointed president of RSPB".The Telegraph.telegraph.co.uk. Archived fromthe originalon 6 October 2009.Retrieved4 October2009.
  38. ^Hogg, Gemma (12 October 2013)."Miranda Krestovnikoff becomes RSPB President"(Press release). RSPB.
  39. ^"RSPB appoints Beccy Speight as chief executive".thirdsector.co.uk.Retrieved23 August2019.
  40. ^"Wildlife and Countryside Link, Our members".Wcl.org.uk.Retrieved31 January2014.
  41. ^"RSPB, Our partnership with BirdLife International".Rspb.org.uk.Retrieved31 January2014.

Bibliography

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