'Mixed
fortunes' for birds.
Published: 06:00Friday
03 May 2019
Scotland’s
starling and rook populations have fallen dramatically over the past two
decades, according to a new report.
Surveys
show numbers of starlings north of the border were down by 28 per cent in 2017
compared to 1995, with a further 12 per cent loss in the past year.
This is
part of a worrying UK-wide decline of 52 per cent since 1995.
Rook
numbers in Scotland have fallen by 37 per cent over the same period.
Ornithologists
do not know exactly what is driving the declines but say changes in the use of
grasslands could be a major factor.
Other
bird species that continue to cause concern include the greenfinch, which has
declined by massive 66 per cent over the 22-year period, and the curlew, with a
drop of 61 per cent.
Swifts
have also experienced a major fall in numbers, with a 28 per cent decline in
the past year and an overall loss of 59 per cent since 1995.
The
latest figures show a much more positive picture for species, which have seen
numbers soar.
Chiffchaffs
have increased nearly eight-fold since 1995, while great spotted woodpeckers
and blackcaps have more than quadrupled.
However,
all three species were scarcer in 2018 than 2017.
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