Welcome to British Butterflies |
Butterflies are the equivalent of the 'canary in a coal mine', a measure of the health of the environment. Short and varied life-cycles and specific habitat needs provide a clear indication of the health of the environment.
Our most familiar butterflies such as the Small Tortoiseshell are now becoming increasingly uncommon. Our rarest butterflies like the High Brown Fritillary are at serious risk of extinction as a result of habitat loss and habitat fragmentation and many other species are declining at an alarming rate.
None of this bodes well for other wildlife as butterflies are part of a complex food chain upon which humans ultimately rely for our own survival.
Steven Cheshire
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British Butterflies Online Store
A great range of butterfly and wildlife related products, from books and id guides to breeding cages and original art are now available in our online store. Each purchase supports the continued development of this web site as a free resource for all.
 Start shopping |
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Stock photo library
Our online stock photo library is constantly updated with only the highest quality photographs of British Butterflies and their different life stages, food plants and habitats, perfect for a wide range of media publications from print to digital.
Stock photo library High res sample images |
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British Butterflies on the wing in
December
There are 1 species of butterfly which generally occur in Britain during
December
. Recent mild winters have influenced emergence dates during the following spring and summer resulting in consistently earlier sightings. The result of global warming? You decide.
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| Conservation |
With the loss of habitats,
effects
of pollution, 'development'
and increasing population,
how can our wildlife survive?
Conservation of butterflies |
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| Protected species |
Many of our butterfly species
are protected to some extent
but does such 'protection'
actually work?
Protected species |
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| Resources |
From free exclusively
available
pdf
downloads, trip reports, web
links and butterfly recording
with
much more to come.
Resources |
| Butterfly recording |
Find out more about recording
butterflies and why these
records are vitally important
and how YOU CAN HELP.
Butterfly recording |
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| Education |
From gardening tips
to advice on rearing
caterpillars. We even
have a quiz!!
Learn more |
| Collecting butterflies |
Can collecting wild
butterflies to be pinned
for display purposes
be
a legitimate pastime?
Collecting butterflies |
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| Latest news |
Rare Butterflies show sign of recovery.
New data shows that some of Britain's
most threatened butterflies showed
encouraging signs of recovery
last year.
News |
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| Events calendar |
| Save Our Butterflies Week |
2012 date tbc |
| National Moth Night |
2012 date tbc |
| Garden Moths Count |
2012 date tbc |
| M&S Big Butterfly Count |
2012 date tbc |
| Local and national events calendar |
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| Join Butterfly Conservation |
 Become a member of Butterfly Conservation, the leading UK charity dedicated to saving butterflies, moths and their habitats.
 Visit http://www.butterfly-conservation.org |
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