British birds in danger
By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
15 Oct 2010 7:00AM BST
Grey partridge, corn bunting and turtle doves have continued to fall in numbers in the last 16 years despite Government promises to halt the decline, according to new figures. The birds were identified as ‘priority species’ for conservation in 1994. Others on the list that have continued to decline are the common scoter, marsh warbler; red-backed shrike and spotted flycatcher. The failure to protect threatened species in our own backyard was highlighted by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in the run up to a major international conference on protecting wildlife. Grey partridges, corn buntings and turtle doves have fallen by around 90 per cent in the last 40 years. Dr Mark Avery, Conservation Director at the charity, said many of the best loved species in the UK are continuing to decline because of the failure to protect habitats around the world. He pointed out that the turtle dove and spotted flycatcher are migratory species that breed in Europe and winter in sub-Saharan Africa, therefore declines may be a combination of “home-grown effects and those operating outside the UK.“ Dr Avery pointed out that the number of birds considered endangered that visit the UK has doubled in less than two decades to more than 50. …
