Leader of the chase

Threatened with extinction in the 1960s, the mighty peregrine–with its astonishing speed and super strength–has staged such a remarkable comeback that its now more successful than it was in the Middle Ages

Unhurried in flight and with a sideline in stolen goods, the handsome red kite is the gentleman thief of the raptor world

Size doesn’t matter when it comes to the fighting spirit of the tiny merlin, a fierce parent and favoured hunting accessory of Mary, Queen of Scots

So wondrous to witness that we often simply imagine we have seen one, the golden eagle embodies the spirit of the Highlands, but is happily progressing south once again

B ecause it’s the school summer holidays, it’s ...

With a ‘butterfly emergency’ in the UK, conservationists are gearing up for this year’s Big Butterfly Count. But what has happened to these insects? And can they – on a wing and a prayer – ever bounce back?