England's lost world: 421 species - including mammals, birds and plants - have become extinct over the past 200 years
Wildlife experts have launched the largest ever online portal of information about the vast number of species which have disappeared from the UK
Species Recovery Trust, which is behind the Lost Life Project, hopes that by publicising this issue they can help prevent a further loss of biodiversity
England’s lost species include bees, beetles, dragonflies, fish, fleas, fungi, moths, spiders and wasps
By JO RILEY
PUBLISHED: 17:54 GMT, 26 February 2014 | UPDATED: 21:02 GMT, 26 February 2014

These birds, butterflies, beasts and bugs are among hundreds of species which have become extinct in England over the last 200 years.

Wildlife experts have today launched the largest ever online portal of information about the incredible 421 species which have disappeared from our country since 1814.

The Species Recovery Trust, which is behind the Lost Life Project, hopes that by publicising this issue they can help prevent a further loss of biodiversity.

Scroll down for video and the full list of England's extinct species


The Scottish Wildcat is much bulkier than a domestic cat, with thick fur and a non-tapered tail. They once roamed the forests and grasslands of Europe, but are now extinct in England, Wales and Scandinavia and numbers in Scotland are critically low with less than 100 remaining

'It’s so easy to think of species extinction as something that happened decades ago in England, but year upon year we continue to lose species, at a rate which is far higher than would occur naturally,' said Dominic Price, director of the Trust.

'Sometimes the list of extinct species names can seem rather dry and scientific so this project aimed to find as many pictures as still existed of these species, to give a fitting testament to the role they played in lighting up our countryside, and highlighting the tragedy that these lights have now gone out.'


The Red-backed shrike became extinct in 1988 due to habitat loss, agricultural intensification and egg collecting. These birds, butterflies, beasts and bugs are among hundreds of species which have become extinct in England over the last 200 years


The dainty damselfly, which has a blue body, was once found in Essex but severe flooding in 1953 destroyed its breeding sites

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