"Nearly half of species are in decline, with farmland birds and seabirds the worst hit, conservation bodies say"
"Wild bird populations in the UK have fallen to their lowest level since records began, figures show, with nearly half of species in decline.
Figures produced by leading nature conservation bodies for the government show that average populations across 132 native breeding species fell by 19% between 1970 and 2025, with farmland birds and seabirds the worst hit in recent years.
Prof Richard Gregory, the head of monitoring at the RSPB, called the overall findings “shocking and sobering”.
reports
“Birds are indicators of the way we’re looking after the countryside and the world around us,” he said. “We’re losing the birds that people are so emotionally connected to and want to protect.”"
