Hedgerow removal hits nation’s farmland birds

NUMBERS of farmland birds have declined by 55 per cent in the past 50 years, Defra has revealed, as a lack of hedgerows and overuse of pesticides are blamed.

For some birds, modern farming practices have been devastating. Corn buntings, grey partridges and tree sparrows, all of which are highly dependent on farmland, have experienced declines of more than 90 per cent since 1970. Turtle doves have seen their numbers halve in the five-year period from 2012 to 2017, with longterm declines of 98 per cent.

Defra has been monitoring 19 species of farmland birds. Over the shorter term, the fall has been less drastic – bird numbers overall fell by 6 per cent in the same period. The analysis said many farmland bird species were hit by the loss of mixed farming, change in grassland management, increased pesticide and fertiliser use, and the removal of hedgerows.