Red Natura 2000

Main Menu

  • Special Conservation Zones
  • Protection For Birds
  • Habitats Directive
  • Fauna And Flora
  • Capital

Red Natura 2000

Header Banner

Red Natura 2000

  • Special Conservation Zones
  • Protection For Birds
  • Habitats Directive
  • Fauna And Flora
  • Capital
Protection For Birds
Home›Protection For Birds›Common French bird species facing an “ relentless ” decline

Common French bird species facing an “ relentless ” decline

By Joyce B. Buchanan
May 31, 2021
0
0



European goldfinches are one of 43 common species in decline.

From city centers to rural fields, human activity has decimated populations of the most common bird species in France, scientists warned Monday, citing data collected over 30 years by volunteer ornithologists.

Between 1989 and 2019, more than 2,000 French bird enthusiasts participated in the monitoring of the 123 most common bird species in the country through the Tracking Common Birds Over Time (STOC) program.

The effort is sponsored by the French National Museum of Natural History, whose findings President Bruno David called “relentless”.

More than a third of common French bird species are in decline, including the European goldfinch, European dove, common martin and 40 others, the museum reported.

The largest population declines have been seen on farmland, where the number has fallen by 30 percent in 30 years, followed by urban areas, which have seen declines of around 28 percent.

Forest birds have behaved somewhat better, with their numbers falling 10 percent over the past three decades.

‘Massacre’ in the fields

Conservation biologist Benoit Fontaine, a researcher at the National Museum, on Monday described the loss of birds in agricultural land as a “massacre” at a press conference.

In 2018, Fontaine published a study detailing the decline. “Our countryside is becoming a real desert,” he said at the time.

In a joint press release, the National Museum, the French League for the Protection of Birds (LPO) and other organizations said even tree sparrows and swallows – which had adapted to city conditions – were now suffering. .

“The transformation of buildings and the renovation of facades destroy the holes in which certain species have made nests,” he said.

“The growing encroachment of cities is reducing their sources of food, while pollution from transport and industrial activities also threatens their health.”

Fontaine highlighted the use of powerful neonicotinoid insecticides that decimate the main food source for birds, as well as the mechanization of agriculture, land clearing and the destruction of row hedges.

LPO President Allain Bougrain-Dubourg said he hoped the findings would feed into the ongoing negotiations on the European Union’s common agricultural policy.

“If we don’t go far enough to fundamentally change our ways, we won’t get away with it,” he said.

In addition to agricultural and urban challenges, climate change is pushing some populations further north, and hunting and poaching also threaten some species.

Biodiversity organizations are working to ban the hunting of species considered endangered in France, as well as controversial traditional methods, such as trapping birds with glue.


French countryside bird populations ‘collapse’


© 2021 AFP

Quote: Common French bird species facing an “ relentless ” decline (2021, May 31) retrieved May 31, 2021 from https://phys.org/news/2021-05-common-french-bird-species -unrelenting.html

This document is subject to copyright. Other than fair use for private study or research purposes, no part may be reproduced without written permission. The content is provided for information only.



Related posts:

  1. Endangered birds ‘Monty’, ‘Rose’ lay eggs at Chicago Beach: Great Lakes Piping Plovers expand their flock
  2. Man indicted for selling protected bird feathers
  3. Peacocks, peacocks among 18 poisoned birds in Akola | Nagpur News
  4. International Bird Rescue celebrates 50 years of wildlife protection

Recent Posts

  • After 7 decades, India is poised to become home to cheetahs
  • Congress set to pass major climate bill
  • Mother-Daughter Duo Pen Cochrane Centered Children’s Book
  • The whales are on the move and Cork and Kerry are great places for whale watching
  • Everyone deserves a second chance? – Nerds black girls

Archives

  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • March 2021

Categories

  • Capital
  • Fauna And Flora
  • Habitats Directive
  • Protection For Birds
  • Special Conservation Zones
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy