Wild bird numbers in the UK are continuing to fall despite government promises to halt nature decline by 2030.
Data released by the government on Tuesday shows that over the past five years, all bird species have faced population decline after suffering from habitat loss, pesticide use, climate breakdown and bird flu. Overall, bird species have declined in number UK-wide by 2% and in England by 7% in the five years since 2018.
Faring the worst are farmland birds, which have declined in number severely – by about 61% over the long term (since 1970) and 9% in the short term (the five years 2018-2023) – and woodland birds, whose numbers have fallen by about 35% over the long term and 10% in the short term.
Some farmland birds have fared particularly badly. The turtle dove has decreased in number by 54% in the UK over the past five years. Numbers of the tree sparrow also continue to decline sharply, by 25% UK-wide and 35% in England over that period.
The decline in the number of farmland birds is largely due to habitat loss, with fewer hedgerows, trees and other vegetation for them to nest in. The use of pesticides and fertilisers has also reduced the population of insects available for the birds to eat. Some farmers have changed their farming practices and have started to see anecdotal improvements in turtle dove numbers.
Experts have warned that some birds could become extinct if these trends continue. Kathryn Brown, director of climate change and evidence at the Wildlife Trusts, said: “The decline of wild birds across the UK is tragic. These latest figures are particularly alarming, given the downward trend across all bird species in recent years. Habitat loss, pollution and climate change are all factors that have contributed to these worrying declines.
“The UK government must take action to restore at least 30% of UK land for nature by 2030 to give birds like hawfinch, nightingales and warblers a fighting chance. Without concerted action to restore nature at scale, there is a significant risk that many bird species could be reclassified from endangered to extinct from Britain.”
The figures could be far worse than shown as the figures do not take into account the loss of seabirds from bird flu, which ripped through populations from 2022.
Prof Richard Gregory, head of species monitoring at the RSPB’s Centre for Conservation Science, said: “Results are mixed but what is most striking is that recent trends are predominantly downwards, a pattern most pronounced in England in nearly all groups of birds. That’s a real worry given ambitions to halt and reverse species trends. Now more than ever we need positive action at greater scale to help our birds and to halt and reverse losses.”
Defra has been contacted for comment.
