Rush-hour motorists have been asked by East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service to look out for owls on roads and dual carriageways with wide grass verges after a barn owl was killed by a motor vehicle on the A283 approach to Steyning (Letters, February 11).

Birds we would be lucky and thrilled to see in their natural habitat - endangered species such as the barn owl and the great bittern - we are more likely to see dead on the road.

A great bittern, one of England's rarest birds, was killed by a van on the A2300 between Hickstead and Goddards Green (The Argus February 4).

It is a sad fact that road traffic is the number-one cause of Britain's wildlife deaths. Habitat lost to property development and feeding areas lost due to modern farming practices also help to wipe out much of our wildlife.

Many of our birds are now endangered - even the common starling, which makes the West Pier's 50,000 inhabitants precious.

We are very lucky in England to have such a wide diversity of wildlife and we need to respect and treasure this.

Some motorists can play a big part in helping wildlife by cutting their speed, especially after dusk when so much wildlife comes out to feed.

Let us also remember that larger birds such as gulls, pigeons, rooks and magpies cannot gain height as quickly as smaller birds. Driving straight at them when they are feeding on abandoned scraps in the road will not allow them time to take off and many meet their end this way.

Our favourite songbird, the blackbird, always flies low across roads and only a careful motorist can avoid them but you are rewarded when you next hear one sing.

Spring is nearly here, the most important time for wildlife and a very difficult time, too, feeding and rearing their young. We can do one thing to help wildlife, both old and newly born, by driving at a controllable speed.

-Gloria Wheatcroft, The Drive, Hove