Tigers, Turtles Doves & Eels
A Shakespeare Species Red List 2023
16th December 2023
At the recent COP28 meeting in Dubai, world leaders, conservationists, scientists, development organisations, and climate activists have been debating the current status of biodiversity around the world and what actions will be taken. All the recent data coming from the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), IUCN the World Conservation Union, scientists, and international, national and local conservation organisations demonstrate the ongoing decline in biodiversity and habitats.
Shakespeare includes over 300 species or species types in his works and 400 years later many of these species are no longer widespread in the landscape or familiar to modern Shakespearean audiences. Some of these changes are well known. I doubt that many people would be surprised to hear that Tigers, Rhinos, Elephants and Leopards are among the most threatened species in the Shakespeare species list. More people might be surprised to learn that European Eels are Critically Endangered at the global level, that Turtle Doves are Vulnerable globally and Critically Endangered in Britain, and that Hedgehogs are Vulnerable in the UK. The Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) was a widespread and valued bird in Shakespeare’s world but its numbers have dropped so dramatically that it is assessed as Endangered in Britain today. Kestrels, Cuckoos, House Martins, Nightingales, Tree Sparrows, Grey Partridges, Wood and Sky Larks, Choughs and Mistle Thrushes are all considered Vulnerable species in Britain in the latest assessments. Fish and sea creatures are also on the lists of the threatened. Wild Atlantic Salmon was assessed at Endangered in the UK on the 11th of December by IUCN, the World Conservation Union. European Eels, Atlantic Sturgeon and the Freshwater Pearl Mussel are amongst our most endangered species.
Shakespeare often includes insects from different types of Bees to the Glow Worm (a beetle), Flies, Beetles, Gnats and many more. Over 260 Beetle species, around 20 Butterfly species and 60 Moth Species, almost 60 Bee and Wasp species and the Field Cricket, are classed as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable in Britain.
Many individuals and organisations are working in the UK, Europe and around the world to conserve biodiversity and to maintain and restore healthy ecosystems.
As well as the threat data there are also success stories to celebrate: Red Kites, Golden Eagles and Ospreys suffered catastrophic declines in the 20th century but reintroductions and conservation efforts have seen these species recover.
There are many decisions you can make which can help reduce the loss of species and habitats and it has never been easier to access high quality data and information from trusted sources on species identification and science. There is not space in this blog to list the many organisations and projects working to conserve endangered species but some of the most relevant for the Shakespeare species are listed below.
As well as the threat to Species and Genetic Diversity within Species there is a more widespread issue around the understanding of Shakespeare’s natural history. The term ‘extinction of experience’, first coined in the 1990s refers to the loss of interactions between people and nature. Initiatives like the introduction of the GCSE in Natural History and the many engagement and outdoor learning initiatives are attempts to provide pathways for learning about the natural world. Shakespeare makes frequent and diverse use of natural metaphors. If we lose this understanding as well as the species themselves it diminishes our understanding of Shakespeare’s poetry and their imagery.
More Information
Red Lists
IUCN Global Red List: Visit Global Red List Species
JNCC British Consolidated Red List: Visit Site
Conservation & Education Projects
Freshwater Biological Association Conservation Project: Freshwater Pearl Mussel
Gaston & Sogey, 2020: The Extinction of Experience, the need to be more specific. British Ecological Society (open access article)
Hedgehog Conservation Strategy: Hedgehog Preservation Society & PTES (Peoples Trust for Endangered Species)
GCSE in Natural History: Visit Hub
Operation Turtle Dove: Visit Site
