ALARM bells are ringing for two of the country's favourite birds, according to a new report.

House sparrows and starlings have been added to Britain's "red list" of birds of the highest conservation concern says a report The Population Status of Birds in the UK.

The report has been put together by a partnership of conservation organisations and is a review of the populations of Britain's wild birds, highlighting those species most in need of conservation help.

Starlings, house sparrows, yellowhammers and six other species have been placed on the list because their breeding populations have declined by more than half in the last 25 years. A further 121 species have been placed on the "amber list" and 86 on the "green list."

Andy Waters, RSPB spokesman, said: "The good news is that since the last review in 1996, efforts to protect some of our rarer birds, such as red kite and osprey, have been so successful that five species, whose populations have doubled over the past 25 years, have been removed from the "red list."

"While it is encouraging to see some of our rarer species doing well, reversing the declines of widespread and common species, like yellowhammers, house sparrows and starlings remains a key challenge for wild bird conservation today."