“My chronic illness keeps me up at night, but listening to tawny owls helps me cope”: How these enchanting birds helped one writer find solace
In the company of owls, poet Polly Atkin finds solace from debilitating illness
BBC Winterwatch will be returning in 2026 – but with a new location next to the largest sea lough in the British Isles
Everything you need to know about BBC Winterwatch, including when it's on and how to watch
83 whale bone tools pulled from Bay of Biscay caves are oldest ever discovered
New research, based or remains found in Spain and France, shows ancient humans used whale bones as tools as far back as 20,000 years.
Why The Gambia should be your next birdwatching holiday destination
Diverse landscapes, incredible weather and over 600 species of birds. Read on to discover what makes this West African country ideal for birdwatching trips.
UK government proposes ban on bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas
Government proposals to ban bottom trawling in more vulnerable marine habitats aim to protect important and rare underwater life.
100-million-year-old fossil found INSIDE belly of gigantic dinosaur in Australian desert
In a world-first discovery, fossilised gut contents from a sauropod reveal what these enormous dinosaurs ate.
Lost-long ‘singing’ insect returns to Britain after vanishing three decades ago
Once extinct in Britain, the New Forest cicada has been reintroduced to Hampshire thanks to a groundbreaking conservation project.
Community-led conservation offers new hope for the world's most trafficked mammal
A new action plan unites experts and communities to protect pangolins in southern Africa.
Dark taxa: why scientists are desperate to know more about this secret network of underground life
Huge numbers of subterranean fungi remain unknown to science, posing problems for conservation around the world, say researchers in a new study.
Researchers catch more than 100 swamp alligators in Georgia – and find something worrying in their blood
The discovery raises concerns for US wildlife, waterways and human health, according to a new study.
Birds
At a metre long, this is the jungle’s flashiest resident and the world's most beautiful bird
All you need to know about the scarlet macaw, one of the world's most beautiful - and intelligent – birds
It stinks of manure, has claws on its wings and eats tree leaves – meet the strange hoatzin, the 'flying cow' of the Amazonian swamps
This avian marvel is also known as the stink bird, the skunk bird and the reptile bird
The poisonous hooded pitohui is the world's most toxic bird - able to exude some of the most powerful poisons in nature
Just how poisonous is the hooded pitohui?
Faking it: Watch what happens when BBC cameras capture a peacock faking a mating call to try and entrap females
BBC cameras catch peacocks competing for attention from peahens – some turning to desperate measures
Are there vultures in Europe?
Reviled by some, vultures are an essential part of many ecosystems around the world. There are four native breeding species in Europe, with another regularly visiting. Learn more about these fascinating birds in our expert guide by the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF).
Feared and wildly misunderstood – the dark truth behind nature’s most vilified bird and its chilling reputation as a harbinger of death
Discover fascinating facts about this group of ecologically important birds.
How to identify wildlife
Save 30% when you subscribe to BBC Wildlife Magazine, plus receive Simon Barnes’ latest release, Spring is the Only Season
Save 30% when you subscribe to BBC Wildlife Magazine, plus receive Simon Barnes’ latest release, Spring is the Only Season
How to identify mammal skulls - and work out the creature they once belonged to
Skulls can be found virtually anywhere, but skull identification can be difficult. Learn how to identify common mammal skulls in our expert guide.
Toad vs frog: How to tell the difference between a common frog and a common toad
Two of the UK's most familiar and widespread amphibian species are the common frog and the common toad, but do you know how to tell them apart?
How to identify animal droppings: Our guide to the wildlife poop you might find in your garden or out on a walk
Droppings or scats can tell us a lot about which animals have been visiting our gardens, parks and countryside, including hedgehogs, foxes and badgers. Our expert guide explains how to identify which poos belong to which species. Plus, animal droppings from species from around the world – and fungi and insects you might spot on droppings.
Swift or swallow: what's the difference between these two incredible long-distance migrants?
Know your swallows from your swifts? Tom Hibbert from The Wildlife Trusts takes a look at some of the differences…
Heron vs egret: what's the difference between these two leggy, long-necked, elegant birds?
Know your herons from your egrets? Tom Hibbert from The Wildlife Trusts takes a look at some of the differences…
Plants
Nectar vs pollen: what's the difference between these two substances that bees love?
Nectar and pollen are loved by pollinators such as bees – but what exactly is the difference between them?
This country is the most biodiverse on Earth – although scientists don't know exactly why
Ever wondered which country has the most species? Stuart Blackman takes a look
Spitting deadly venom and launching ‘bullet-like’ blobs – these are the most lethal projectiles in the natural world
Plenty of animals, plants and fungi launch explosive projectiles – here's how they do it
8 of the world's most dangerous trees – including the exploding 'dynamite tree' that fires seeds at speeds up to 160mph
From tropical terrors to coniferous killers – here are some tree species you might want to avoid the next time you’re walking in the woods.