Stamps celebrating the rescue of birds that had disappeared from Britain or were on the verge of dying out are launched this week.

The joint initiative between the Royal Mail and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is intended to raise awareness of the potential success of conservation projects. Endangered insects whose numbers have increased will feature on a set of stamps next year, with mammals being highlighted in 2009.

Four of the ten birds that are shown on the latest stamps died out in Britain temporarily because of factors such as persecution, habitat loss and pollution. The other six species were saved when conservation programmes were put in place to halt their rapid decline in numbers. Measures that were introduced to protect the species included the control of the use of pesticides, restoration of habitat, the formation of networks of volunteers to monitor survivors and their nests, and reintroduction schemes.

The survival of the peregrine falcon, whose population was reduced to a handful of birds in the early 1970s because of the use of DDT and other pesticides, is regarded by many ornithologists as the biggest success story. Grahame Madge, of the RSPB, said: “It’s a bird that is doing well today and is possibly more common in some parts of the country than it ever has been.”

The avocet, which is the emblem of the RSPB, died out in Britain in 1840, the year that the world’s first stamp, the Penny Black, was launched. It returned in 1947 and now numbers more than 1,300 pairs because of work carried out by conservation groups to provide suitable habitat. The decline of the other nine birds featured on the stamps has also been reversed.

“Thankfully, the futures of all the birds have improved dramatically thanks to intensive efforts by the RSPB and other groups. It’s now possible to see all of these birds easily in the United Kingdom – but we don’t want to take anything for granted. The causes of their decline could still pose a risk for the future,” Mr Madge said.

Julietta Edgar, of the Royal Mail, said it was the first time that conservation successes had been the focus of an issue of stamps in Britain. “There is a lot of really good work going on to bring these species back and we wanted to highlight that,” she said.

Meanwhile, ornithologists have given warning that rare birds face devastating declines in numbers unless a successor to set-aside schemes is funded by the Government. Skylarks, stone-curlews, barn owls and lapwings are among the species that are expected to suffer without fallow land being provided by farmers.

European Union funding for set-aside schemes, in which farmers are paid to leave land uncultivated, will end next year under a reorganisation of the Common Agricultural Policy payments. Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, has yet to decide whether a replacement scheme should be devised and is facing conflicting calls from conservationists and farmers’ leaders.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) wants measures to encourage birds to be integrated within production, rather than the prevention of crops being grown on a proportion of farmland.

“Most farmers are now integrating bird-friendly measures alongside and within productive cropping, rather than taking land out of production altogether,” Peter Kendall, the NFU president, said.

The RSPB fears that without some form of subsidy to protect wildlife, farmers will plough up land that has become a haven for birds and other creatures.

Sue Armstrong Brown, of the RSPB, said: “Farmers are committed to helping to reverse farmland bird declines but cannot do so without a government prepared to back them.”

Flock of highfliers

Whitetailed eagle 1918: extinct Now: 36 nesting birds
Bearded tit 1948:10 pairs left Now: 500 pairs
Red kite 1890: handful in Wales. Now: 1,000 pairs
Cirl Bunting 1989: 118 pairs Now 820 pairs
Marsh harrier 1898: extinct Now: 360 pairs
Avocet 1840: extinct Now: 1,350 pairs
Bittern 1890s: extinct Now: 44 pairs
Dartford warbler 1963: 11 pairs Now: over 3,000 pairs
Corncrake 1972: 660 pairs Now: 1,145 pairs
Peregrine falcon 1972: 515 pairs Now: up to 1,600 pairs

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