October 30, 2009
UK farmland birds continue to decline
Farmland birds like skylarks and grey partridges have declined by more than half in the last 30 years according to new Government statistics. 
By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Published: 7:00AM GMT 30 Oct 2009 The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) English farmland bird index, which covers 19 birds including yellowhammer and woodpigeon, showed a continued trend in declining numbers. Populations of species in the index, which acts as an indicator of the health of birds living on agricultural land, were 52 per cent below what they were when records began in 1970. …
