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Welcome to the Rare Bird Alert website

Established in 1991 Rare Bird Alert is the longest running instant birdnews service in the UK. Our team of experienced and dedicated birders check and send reports as soon as they break, sixteen hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Ways to get our birdnews

We offer the most comprehensive range of birdnews services to suit all birders. If rarity hunting is your thing, just like to bird locally or only go birding occasionally we have a solution to meet your needs. If you would like any advice or help with any of our services please contact us today.

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Pagers

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Still the ultimate tool for birders in the field who don't want to miss news.

  • Unrivalled reception works in many parts of the country where mobiles don't. Particularly good coverage in rural 'birding' areas
  • Flexible change the areas you get news from whenever you want
  • Packages to suit all birders
    local pagers covering individual counties or entire coverage for the UK, you decide
  • TRY FOR FREE today
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From
£134
per year

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Online

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  • Live birdnews over 100,000 sightings per year, updated all day, every day
  • Newsmaps so you can see where the birds are
  • Photo Gallery share your photos of birds in Britain
  • Previous Records fully searchable database of all the accepted rarities in Britain and Ireland, including maps, stats and photos
  • Articles finders' accounts, identification papers, news stories and much more
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Only
£59.99
per year

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Phones

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iPhone and Android App

  • Alerts instant alerts on breaking news
  • Browse the news search the news using quick links or build advanced filters
  • Gallery latest UK bird photos

Text messages

  • Instant text alerts to breaking news to any phone
  • Great for occasional use
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From
£59.99
per year

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Latest article

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Bird Tourism Booms Where Development, Stability and Avian Riches Converge

Global study reveals that birdwatching destinations thrive not only on species diversity but also on human development and societal stability. More here >

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Spanish Farmland Birds in Retreat as Intensification Drives Widespread Range Loss

Two decades of atlas data show major contractions in steppe and farmland species, with agricultural yields emerging as a key driver of decline. More here >

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How a Tropical Seabird Survived 17 Summers in the Gulf of Maine

DNA evidence shows how a Red-billed Tropicbird that spent 17 consecutive summers in the cold waters of the Gulf of Maine, survived. More here >

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Swifts and Swallows Thrive Where Olive Groves Keep Their Green Cover

Study in southern Spain finds herbaceous cover increases abundance of aerial-feeding birds, with implications for biodiversity and pest control. More here >

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Marbled Teal on the Brink in Armenia and Turkey

Once widespread across the Caucasus, the species now clings on with only a handful of pairs in Armenia and is likely extinct as a breeder in Turkey. More here >