Migratory Bird #s Declining Rapidly In UK - Overall Totals Down 20% 76-01

Birds which migrate long distances have suffered a population fall, the most extensive poll for 20 years has found.
It shows a 70 per cent decline in birds such as the tree pipit and spotted flycatcher in some areas. The figures come from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the British Trust for Ornithology's Repeat Woodland Bird Survey.

Of 34 species, 11 showed national increases above 25 per cent. Eight decreased by more than 25 per cent.

Biodiversity Minister Jim Knight released the figures. They highlight the winners and losers in the bird population in the UK's changing landscape and climate. There were unexpected increases in some resident bird species and mid-distance migrants. More common birds such as coal, blue and great tits increased in number.

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The study covered 406 woodland sites and allows data comparison with similar surveys carried out in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Wild bird populations are one of the government's 15 headline indicators of sustainable development. There has been growing concern about falls in woodland bird populations - down 20 per cent between 1976 and 2001, according to the government's Wildbird Population Framework Indicator.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4825378.stm