UK wildlife faces many threats to its survival. Threats differ between species; but broad themes are frequently seen such as habitat loss and destruction, persecution, and competition with non-native species. Road traffic accidents, predation by domestic species and loss of nesting sites are other common factors influencing species survival. 

Table of contents

The Red List

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species is a well-known global inventory of the conservation status of most species. The categories used to assess the status of each species are as follows:

  • Extinct (EX) – It is known the last individual of the species has died and the species does not exist in the wild or in captivity.
  • Extinct in the wild (EW) – the species no longer exists in the wild and is known only to survive in captivity. 
  • Critically endangered (CE) – the species is facing an extreme risk of extinction in the wild. 
  • Endangered (E) – the species is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Vulnerable (V) – the species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Near Threatened (NT) – the species is currently not at high risk of extinction in the wild but is likely to be categorised as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered in the future. 
  • Least Concern (LC) – the species is not thought to be at risk of extinction.  
  • Data deficient (DD) – not enough data available to assess the species status accurately. 
  • Not evaluated (NE) – the species has not been evaluated for its conservation status. 

The available species summaries often give a population trend as well. For example if you currently look on the IUCN red list homepage, it states Emperor penguins are Near threatened, with a decreasing population trend, meaning their population numbers are declining. You can read more and explore the IUCN website here.

British Wildlife

The IUCN framework has been used in Great Britain to assess the conservation status of native wildlife. A 2022 report by Natural England assessing the conservation status of native species revealed the following:

  • Out of 13 species of amphibians and reptiles assessed, 1 was critically endangered, 3 endangered, 2 near threatened and 7 least concern. 
  • Out of 268 species of birds assessed, 6 were found to be regionally extinct, 14 were critically endangered, 37 endangered, 57 vulnerable, 31 near threatened and 123 of least concern. 
  • Out of 42 non-marine mammalian species assessed, 1 was found to be regionally extinct, 2 critically endangered, 4 endangered, 4 vulnerable, 5 near threatened and 26 least concern.

The report also has extensive data on a wide variety of other wildlife species including fish, butterflies and a wide range of invertebrates which are essential in our ecosystem. If you would like, you can read the report in full and review the data here.

The data in this report for non-marine mammals conservation status in the UK was compiled from the 2020 IUCN compliant red list from Britain’s Terrestrial Mammals. This report was assessed by the mammal society under contract from Natural England. The data from this report allows us to see the specific mammalian species which are threatened in Great Britain. The report also shows how this status changes whether you are in England, Scotland, Wales or Globally (i.e. outside the UK). 

Many British species are threatened or endangered

Species listed as threatened in Great Britain include:

  • Greater mouse eared bat – Critically endangered
  • Water Vole – Endangered 
  • Red Squirrel – Endangered 
  • Eurasian beaver – Endangered 
  • Grey long eared bat – Endangered 
  • European hedgehog – Vulnerable 
  • Hazel Dormouse – Vulnerable 

If you would like to read more about the mammal societies findings in this report, you can follow this link.

As you can see from the above data, many wildlife species in the UK are endangered. It is vitally important that ongoing conservation work is put in place to support the populations of these endangered species in the UK. Or we risk a critical loss to biodiversity and likely further loss and extinction of native species. 

Summary:

  • Many species of UK wildlife are listed as endangered or worse, including 4 species of reptiles and amphibians, 57 species of birds, and 7 species of terrestrial mammals. 
  • Factors threatening species survival in the UK are varied but include habitat destruction, persecution and competition with non-native species 
  • It is essential efforts are made to conserve these species and their habitats to ensure reduce the risk of these species becoming extinct

Further reading: