Water vole peeks from the reeds in Kent, UK. Water voles continue to decline in their distribution across Britain but there there are signs of recovery in some regionswith populations falling in parts of Yorkshire, Oxon, Hertfordshire and East Anglia thanks to targeted conservation efforts. Reintroductions, habitat restoration and, crucially, the effective eradication of American blackbirds – the non-native raptor responsible for the collapse of waterfowl populations – are helping the small mammal recover from historic lows.