Pesticides and fertilisers driving down bird species, study finds

A Europe-wide investigation over more than 30 years found modern farming practices to be a leading cause of decline.

A European starling foraging on a grassy headland (Verity Hill/RSPB/PA)

The increased use of pesticides and fertilisers on farmland has been the main cause of decline for many bird species across Europe, a new study has found.

Using data from 28 countries across a 37-year period, researchers learnt that common bird species have shown a general decline of 25% across the continent, including the UK.

Farmland species have more than halved over the same period – 1980 to 2016 – with woodland birds declining by 18%, urban dwellers by 28%, northern, cold-preferring birds by 40% and southern, warm-preferring birds by 17%.