The 20th annual BirdTrends report highlights the rapid decline of the greenfinch, whose population has dropped by 59pc in the UK in just ten years. Bird experts say the decline is caused by a widespread and severe outbreak of a disease called trichomonosis, which first affected bird populations in 2006. The steepest long-term populations declines measured are for Turtle Dove, Tree Sparrow, Willow Tit, Grey Partridge and Nightingale, which have all declined by 90% or more since 1967, as, almost certainly, has Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. The endangered turtle dove shows the steepest decline of any species in the BTO BirdTrends report (98pc) which suggests it may soon disappear as a British breeding bird.
The bird is one of 28 species in the report showing “statistically significant population declines” of more than 50pc over long-term periods of 31–48 years. These are grey partridge (Perdix perdix), little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), redshank (Tringa totanus), woodcock (Scolopax rusticola), snipe (Gallinago gallinago), turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), little owl (Athene noctua), willow tit (Poecile montanus), marsh tit (Poecile palustris), skylark (Alauda arvensis), house martin (Delichon urbicum), willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus), whitethroat (Sylvia communis), starling (Sturnus vulgaris), song thrush (Turdus philomelos) , mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus), spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa striata), nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), house sparrow (Passer domesticus), tree sparrow (Passer montanus), yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava), tree pipit (Anthus trivialis), linnet (Linaria cannabina) , lesser redpoll (Acanthis cabaret), yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) and corn bunting (Emberiza calandra).
A further seven species raise lower-level concern, as a result of statistically significant long-term declines of between 25% and 50%. These are Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Dunnock (Prunella modularis), Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea), Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis), Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) and Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris). The recent dramatic declines in Greenfinch populations reverse a period of sustained increase.
Sources:
Eastern Daily Press, 29 Dec 2017
http://www.edp24.co.uk/business/farming/bto-birdtrends-report-reveals-w…
BTO
https://www.bto.org/about-birds/birdtrends/2017/key-findings/declining-…
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