Into the Red

Our relationship with birds often brings a deep connection that enriches our lives. From heralding the change of the seasons, to soundtracking key moments that forge lifelong memories, birds become totems that bring joy, meaning and even healing to so many of us.

But almost a third of UK bird species are in population free fall, and as a result our lives are diminished. Year after year they become fewer, their dwindling voices drowned out by the white noise of daily life. The scream of the Swift, the raucous chatter of the Starling, the iconic call of the Cuckoo; no longer simply birdsong but desperate cries for help. For these birds, the 70 species on the UK Red List, their message for us has changed to an SOS, a clarion call to act. And we must listen to them, before it is too late.

Into the Red is a collaboration between 70 authors and 70 artists with a single goal: to raise funds to support conservation work aiming to reverse the declines of our most at-risk birds. Contributors include Nick Hayes, M.G. Leonard, Isabella Tree, Richard Mabey, Amir Khan, David Gray, Jim Moir, Harriet Mead, Brigit Strawbridge, Mackenzie Crook, Megan McCubbin, and many others.