Corvids ‘vendetta’

Once again Songbird Survival are pursuing their vendetta against corvids and other birds of prey, whom they choose to blame for the decline in our songbird populations (Letters, 22 April).

When an avian species is in decline, humans are usually implicated, either directly or indirectly. That supreme avian singer, the nightingale, is a classic example. We would have expected their range to extend northwards due to climate warming. Instead, there has been a relentless decline in their number over the past 20 years. The main cause of their decline is the introduced muntjac deer, who graze on the wooded understorey where the nightingales nest.

Likewise, the main factors causing declines in songbirds are reductions in food availability and the loss of suitable nesting sites. Yes, it’s true that many farmers take a keen interest in their avian visitors and manage their land in ways which are beneficial to thelatter. Unfortunatelythese enlightened farmers do not constitute the majority.

Intensive farming, designed to feed an ever-increasing population of humans, has led to a loss of food and habi- tats for songbirds. The change from spring to autumn sowing and rise in use of agricultural chemicals have cut the amount of insects and seeds available for songbirds to eat.

We’re all suspects in the crime against songbirds, but, unlike corvids, we have the ability to change our behaviour to maximise the survival rate of the former, without slaughtering the latter.

CAROLYN TAYLOR Wellbank, Broughty Ferry