Birdwatch - July 2021

■ Lost and found In the second part of our series looking at poorly known birds from around the world, Josh Jones looks at Western Palearctic’s species shrouded in mystery – some are sadly long gone, but thrilling rediscoveries in recent years suggest that others surely still hang on, waiting to be found.
■ Gone to the dogs Dog walking is one of the world’s most popular leisure activities and with the past year of lockdowns seeing a boom in both pet ownership and public use of outside spaces, the effects that canines have on wildlife has never been more pressing. Alex Lees explores the impacts that dogs have and measures to mitigate these impacts. 
■ Shear delight Balearic and Yelkouan Shearwaters were previously considered subspecies of Manx Shearwater. The default around the coasts of Britain and Ireland is Manx, but the two Mediterranean species make it to our waters too. Find out how to separate these similar seabirds with our identification photo guide. 
■ Saving Borneo’s birds The Kinabatangan valley is home to eight hornbill species, two of which are Critically Endangered. The World Land Trust is working with local conservation group Hutan to provide artificial nestboxes to help the breeding success of these unique and beautiful birds.
■ 30 years of change As the first avifauna for Wales in three decades is published, Dan Rouse delves into how the country’s birdlife has changed in the intervening years.

Plus: more thought-provoking comment from columnists Dominic Mitchell, Lucy McRobert and Mark Avery, our latest photo challenge, the team at BirdGuides provides round-ups of May’s birding highlights from Britain, Ireland and the wider Western Palearctic, news, views and reviews, tips and advice on improving your birding and your questions answered by our expert panel.