Conservationists have warned of rapid declines in the number of hedgehogs and migratory birds in a new global assessment announced on Monday 28th October amid COP 16 by The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The red list also includes trees for the first time, as almost 40% of the world's species of trees are now at risk of extinction. 

“We are releasing the global assessment of the world’s trees on the IUCN Red List, which shows that more than one in three tree species are threatened with extinction,” Dr. Grethel Aguilar, director general of the IUCN, said in a statement. “Trees are essential to support life on Earth through their vital role in ecosystems, and millions of people depend upon them for their lives and livelihoods.”

The number of threatened trees now outweighs all threatened birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians put together, according to the latest update. Factors such as climate change, deforestation for urban development and agriculture, as well as invasive species and diseases, are threatening our trees. Among the most threatened are magnolias, oaks, and maples. 

Alongside the trees, the latest update to the extinction red list brought troubling news for other plants and animals. The hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) has been moved a step closer to extinction, upgrading from 'Least Concern' to 'Near Threatened'.

Once common across Europe including here in the UK, hedgehog populations have seen an estimated 30% decline in numbers over the past decade. Hedgehogs are being pushed towards extinction by increasing human pressures such as urban development, intensive farming and roads, all of which are breaking up their habitat.

In addition, hedgehog populations have been impacted by traffic, pesticides, and poorly managed gardens. Pesticides reduce the insects hedgehogs rely on for food and may also poison the hedgehogs directly. Find out how you can help our hedgehogs here. 

There is also concern for the survival of migratory birds, many of which rely on Britain’s shorelines and estuaries as vital stop-off points on their journeys. Four of our UK shorebirds – the grey plover, dunlin, turnstone, and curlew sandpiper – are now facing increased risk, moving further up the extinction red list. 

These are birds that come to the UK in winter from colder climates and rest and feed on the shore and in estuaries before moving back to their breeding grounds for spring. They face threats such as pollution, development, climate change, sea level rise and flooding. 

The grey plover has seen its population fall by more than 30% globally since the late 1990s, leading to its conservation status shifting two categories from 'least concern' to 'vulnerable'. Similarly, both the dunlin and the turnstone are experiencing steep declines, now listed as 'near threatened' rather than 'least concern'.  Curlew sandpipers have declined by over 30% globally since the late 2000s, prompting a reclassification from 'near threatened' to 'vulnerable'. 

This is the moment to galvanise action to halt and reverse nature loss. Plummeting populations signal that nature is in crisis. Nature loss can be reversed, but extinction cannot. The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world: we must take action now before it is too late.