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Red list already contained common birds like starlings and house sparrows (Representational).
London:
A Wednesday report warned that nearly 30 percent of UK’s bird species, including swifts and greenfinches, are at serious risk from climate change.
A coalition of organisations, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, (RSPB), created the “red” listing of 70 birds that are most endangered. It was based upon observations made by volunteers.
The last report of this nature was published in 2015.
Beccy Speight (RSPB chief executive) stated that the report “is more proof that the UK’s biodiversity is in freefall”, and warned that this is the last chance to stop and reverse the destruction.
The number of bird species in severe decline has nearly doubled since the first compilation 25 years ago. Since the last report, it has increased by three species.
The red listing, which previously contained common birds such as starlings or house sparrows, now contains 11 new species, including swifts and greenfinches.
Inclusion criteria include a reduction in the geographical area where the birds breed and population decline.
The latest decrease in numbers is affecting a wide variety of birds, with the report citing a variety of habitats and feeding preferences.
This includes insects-eating birds that arrive in Britain in summer months and migrate to sub-Saharan Africa in winter.
The report suggested possible reasons, including the loss in swifts’ traditional nesting places in wooden eaves on old buildings as well climate change and droughts throughout Africa.
After being infected by a parasite, Greenfinches, which are often found in woods and farms, were immediately put on the red list.
The red list includes waterbirds that spend winter in the UK, such as Bewick’s Swan. These waterbirds are subject to pressures due to shifting wintering grounds northeast because of milder temperatures.
There were many examples of populations recovering due to conservation efforts. The white-tailed Eagle moved from red to amber when the extinct birds were successfully reintroduced to Scotland.
However, the report warned that the UK redlist is now so extensive that conservation groups may need to be more selective in identifying which birds to prioritize.
(Excepting the headline, this story was not edited by NDTV staff. It was published from a syndicated feed.
