The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is consulting with staff as it considers job cuts as part of plans to reduce its operating costs by 7%.

The cuts are being looked at as its faces “ongoing external pressures” including inflation, a National Living Wage rise, and the hike in National Insurance employer contributions, which have added £2m to its annual wage bill.

It said that “staffing is our largest cost” as it looks at “simplifying our structures and reducing our costs, so more of our resources flow directly to saving species and restoring landscapes, both on our nature reserves and beyond”.

The charity added: “Achieving this means making some changes within the organisation, and we have started a formal consultation process with our staff.

“During the consultation period, we will not be able to comment on specific proposals, although we can say that having recently completed a review of our nature reserve operations, we don’t anticipate making further changes to this area.

“We are committed to meaningful consultation, minimising compulsory redundancies wherever possible, and supporting our dedicated and talented teams through this process.”

The consultation is due to end on 15 July.

Two years ago, the RSPB announced it was making cuts to its operations by closing or considering a change of management for five retail facilities, a café and four visitor centres across seven sites.

Among those facing an uncertain future was Flatwood Wildlife Garden in Suffolk. Last month it emerged that this is to be taken over by the National Trust.

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