More than a quarter of birds in the UK are ‘red listed’ because of fears for their survival a report out today warns.

Much-loved species of coastline and moor, like curlew, puffin, grey wagtail and merlin have been added to the list, which now includes 67 of the UK’s 244 birds.

The number of birds at risk is an increase on the last assessment, in 2009, when 52 species or around a fifth of the country’s birds were on the UK red list.

Experts said most of the 67 species considered to be of conservation concern are on the list because of severe declines, having halved in numbers or their range in the UK in recent decades.

Others remain well below the level that their populations would once have been historically or are considered to be at risk of extinction globally.

However conservation measures, including a number in the South West, are helping to protect threatened species and bring others back from the brink.

The endangered puffin, for example, is thriving on Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel because of a ten year programme to eradicate the brown and black rats that were preying on the burrow-nesting seabirds and their eggs.

And the bittern, famous for its booming call, has been moved from the red list to an amber listing, thanks in large part to work to preserve its habitat, including in the extensive reed beds of the Somerset Levels.

Five upland species have been added to the red list: the curlew, dotterel, whinchat, grey wagtail and merlin, bringing the number of species found in upland areas that are in trouble to 12.

Woodland birds the nightingale, pied flycatcher and woodcock – still officially classed as a game bird and legal quarry, in season – have also been added to the red list.

The puffin is one of three seabird species new to the red list, as a result of worldwide population declines which means it is now thought to be at risk of global extinction. On Lundy, however, numbers are growing. Shags and kittiwakes are also added to the list of species at risk.

But three species of bird have been downgraded from the most at risk “red” category, to an amber listing, the bittern, nightjar and dunlin, and another 22 species have moved from amber to green listing, meaning they are of least concern, including the red kite and woodlark.

Both the bittern and nightjar have seen an increase in numbers in the wake of targeted conservation action.

Overall more species are considered to be at least risk than in 2009, the report compiled by the UK’s bird conservation and monitoring organisations found.

Martin Harper, RSPB conservation director, said: “This update highlights the continued erosion of the UK’s wildlife. It is sobering that much loved species such as curlew, puffin and nightingale are now of highest conservation concern in the UK.

“They are sounding the alarm that things are going wrong in our uplands, our seas, and for our migratory species. Addressing these declines must now become a priority.

“But, we must remain optimistic. This latest assessment shows that when have diagnosed the problem, identified solutions, and when conservation action is targeted and adequately funded, we can bring species back from the brink.”

David Stroud, senior ornithologist at the Joint Nature Conservation Commitee (JNCC), said: “The improved status of bittern and nightjar following two decades of targeted conservation delivery shows that with adequately resourced implementation, we can restore even highly threatened species – as these were in the 1990s.

“We need urgently to similarly address the factors causing the poor status of very many other species on the red list.”