Animal Lock

Slightly larger than the closely related Manx shearwater, the Balearic shearwater is brown above and dull below. It flies with rapid, shallow wingbeats on stiffly held wings. It will rest on the water, and also plunge-dive for food. Despite breeding in the Balearic Islands and the south coast of France, it migrates north towards the Bay of Biscay, which is when some birds make it into British waters.

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With heart-shaped face, buff back and wings and pure white underparts, the barn owl is a distinctive and much-loved countryside bird. Widely distributed across the UK, and indeed the world, this bird has suffered declines through the 20th century and is thought to have been adversely affected by organochlorine pesticides such as DDT in the 1950s and '60s.

Arguably the most attractive of the UK's breeding grebes, with its golden ear tufts and trilling calls. It looks similar to the black-necked grebe in winter but has whiter cheeks which almost meet at the back of the neck. Due to its small breeding population it is a Red List species.