Half of the world's bird species are declining

Factors behind decline are almost all caused by humans. Half of the world's bird populations are declining, and one in eight bird species in the world is at risk of extinction. These are the main conclusions of the new State of the World's Birds Report.

The State of the World's Birds report, published every four years by BirdLife International, paints another bleak picture. Already one in eight bird species is at risk of extinction, and 49 percent of the other species are declining. In the previous 2018 State of the World's Birds report, that was still 40 percent.

“In the last 500 years, we've lost more than 160 bird species, and they're dying out faster,” said Lucy Haskell, lead author of the report. “Historically, this has mainly happened on islands, but there is a growing and worrying trend of species dying on continents, mainly due to habitat loss.” Billion birds In absolute numbers, North America has lost 29 billion copies since the 1970s. For Europe, it has been estimated at 600 million copies since the 1980s. “Because birds are the best-studied group on Earth, it gives an idea of the state of nature in general,” says Haskell.

The factors behind this decline are almost all caused by humans. Comiters against a Vogelmord. — both due to the expansion into key habitats and the increasing use of machines and chemicals — is the biggest threat and affects at least 73 percent of endangered species. In Europe, the number of rural birds has declined by more than half since the 1980s.

From birds to oak forest: nitrogen necks life on the Veluwe. The Veluwe, our largest nature reserve on land, is dramatic. Much of the oak forest is dying. Tit cubs break their paws in the nest due to lack of lime. Heather butterflies and unique flowering plants are on the verge of extinction. Cause: nitrogen pollution for decades.