A worrying result of the research done to create the updated list of Biodiversity Action Plan is that one fifth of all of the UK's regularly occurring birds are now considered to need extra protection. I can't believe that so many are on the list, it really is terrifying that so many of our birds are starting to be threatened.
House sparrows were added to the updated list, but so were starlings. There used to be so many of these birds, I can't believe there is so few of them today and that they need extra protection. What can be done? This list is one step towards helping, I think they've done a great job.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6965681.stm
All I can say is, that has left me astonished. I knew that there were problems, but I didn't realise that so many species were affected. I skimmed the article, but what I couldn't see was if there was anyway of helping the cause, donation or something else, do you know if there is a website about it?
I read that & the list is tremendous. We all know about hedgehogs , toads , bats etc but sparrows & starlings is astonishing.
I used to have toads living in my greenhouse at my other house & they even had a baby which I killed accidentally when I stood on something it was under . I was devastated!!
I have to wonder at the accuracy of these surveys. My garden is full of house sparrows, several dozens of them, so who has surveyed this area?
You would hope that they surveryed many areas, and then took an average of the populations to find out whether the bids really are in decline, or whether the birds have just moved to a different area. I often see house sparrows, but there definitely isn't as many around this area as there used to be. I had noticed this a while ago, long before this survey was released.
There are plenty of house sparrows around here, starlings are a different matter though. I rarely see them anymore. I'm quite surprised that house sparrows are on there, but the most worrying thing is how many species need protection.
These surveys are sometimes hard to comprehend. There has never been a time like now for the amount of conservation bodies and societies, nature reserves, SSSI's, public awareness of wildlife/conservation issues. Farmers are paid not to farm, gardeners are greener now than they ever were. The whole country is enveloped in a "Green is Good" recycling, bicycling to work verdant haze of biodiversity awareness. And yet, we still have species in decline. My vote for one major reason would be the massive increase in recent years of new housing estates. You destroy alot of habitat by building a dozen houses and a free RSPB birdfeeder doesn't compensate for the mixed hedge which has been ripped out to make place for some tanalised garden decking.
Martin.
Quite true, Martin.
Many birds where I live are not considered 'endangered', but all it would do to wipe them out would be to add 200 or 300 more houses in my area, and thus remove all the habitat. Some species are able to adapt to human habitation, more are not.
By the way, welcome to Wildlife UK
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Kingfisher
That's very true. So much land is being taken up with new housing estates to cope with the massive demand for starter housing that in 10-20 years time I dread to think how much actual countryside will be left in the south. Very little I would imagine if the trend continues, and therefore there will be nowhere for a lot of our native birds to live.
The amount of housese being built is increasing - there is so much demand for homes which allow people to get on the property ladder. The most frustrating thing is most of the new homes are too expensive for first time buyers anyway! But that's a whole different topic.