An increase in the use of pesticides and fertilizers on farmland has been identified as the main cause for declines in most bird populations across Europe, according to a major new study.
Using data collected across 28 countries over 37 years, findings indicated, over the study period (1980 to 2016), common bird species in Europe have shown a general decline in abundance by 25 percent.
The numbers of farmland species have more than halved over the same period - a decline of around 56.8 percent. Declines were also noted in woodland birds 17.7 percent, urban dwellers 27.8 percent, among northern, cold-preferring birds 39.7 percent and southern, warm-preferring bird species 17.1 percent.
The collaborative study of more than 50 researchers, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Journal, attributed the reason for the decline in bird numbers in Europe to modern intensive farming practices, using pesticides and fertilizers.
Wild species like swifts, yellow wagtails, and spotted flycatchers - those reliant on invertebrates for food, had the hardest hit.
Along with the impact of intensive farming, researchers also uncovered direct relationships between declines in bird populations and three other widespread pressures linked to human activity - a change in forest cover, urbanization, and climate change (focusing on temperature).
National Organizer for the Breeding Bird Survey, James Heywood, said "the decline of farmland birds across Europe is one of the stand-out observations from this study, in particular just how widespread they are," adding "what is also highlighted is just how little woodland the UK holds compared to our neighbors on the continent." "That said, the study makes clear that a simple increase in forest cover can mask other changes, particularly in the quality and nature of forests; the planting of managed forests will not produce the same benefits for birds as old-growth forests or ancient woodlands, for example," he noted.
Source: Qatar News Agency