The Dartford Warbler bounces back from the brink of UK extinction - RSPB

Recent Heathland Birds Survey updates 20-year-old UK population estimates, thanks to hard work of volunteers.

The most recent national survey has now revealed the highest ever number of Dartford Warblers recorded on RSPB nature reserves, with 264 pairs counted in 2025 – that’s a 44% increase in just five years! The wider UK population estimate has also reached 4,100 pairs, up from 3,200 during the last national survey in 2006.

Partnership survey reveals remarkable recovery

Last year, the RSPB worked with BTO and Natural England to carry out the UK-wide Heathland Birds Survey, which aimed to update the range and population estimates for the Dartford Warbler and other heathland birds. Thanks to the invaluable support of surveying volunteers, we have been able to update the previous figures, which were almost 20 years old. These new results help to assess how effective heathland management is for these species.

Previously facing extinction in the UK, only a handful of pairs, limited to Dorset, remained just over 60 years ago. Now, with an estimated 4,100 pairs in total and a record-breaking year on our nature reserves, there is hope that effective conservation is helping the recovery of Dartford Warblers in the UK.