Species fight for nesting sites
From termites crafting their mounds, to badgers digging an underground den, a suitable home is vital to the survival of all sorts of creatures. A new study has revealed that not all species of birds and bees are getting the chance to nest each year, and this could be bringing them closer to extinction.
All over the world the number of places where birds and bees normally nest, such as hedgerows and meadows, are falling because humans are using the land for farming. These creatures have to compete fiercely to find a suitable spot in which to make a home. And yet some species are doing better than others. For example, goldfinches are seeing their populations shrink – whereas their close relation, the chaffinch, is flourishing.
In an effort to work out why, researchers from the University of Exeter studied the populations of 221 bird and 43 bumblebee species around the world. The researchers found that the larger species are more likely to be declining if they also tend to nest later in the year. The early-nesting species (whether big or small) get on with finding a home, and quickly claim the available space. The bigger creatures that prefer to nest later are used to being able to bully their way to a good
spot – but with the rise in farming, there may not be enough good spots left. These species are left to continue their search for a suitable spot and may not manage to breed at all. As Exeter University’s Dr Andrew Higginson explains, “while smaller species settle for what they can find, the larger ones keep looking and end up failing to breed”. These results show that finding somewhere to nest plays a big role in a species’ survival. As well as making sure there is enough food, conservation efforts should also ensure plenty of places to nest. Higginson suggests that leaving part of your garden to grow wild during spring and summer could provide bumblebees with somewhere to live.