The survey by BirdLife International found that 45% of Europe’s common birds had seen numbers fall, as had more than 80% of Australia’s wading species. The study’s authors said governments were failing to fund their promises to halt biodiversity loss by 2010. The findings will be presented at the group’s World Conference in Argentina.
The State of the World’s Birds 2008 report, the first update since 2004, found that common species – ones considered to be familiar in people’s everyday lives – were declining in all parts of the world.
- In Europe, an analysis of 124 species over a 26-year period revealed that 56 species had declined in 20 countries.
- Farmland birds were worst affected, with the number of European turtle-doves (Streptopelia turtur) falling by 79%.
- In Africa, birds of prey were experiencing “widespread decline” outside of protected areas. While in Asia, 62% of the continent’s migratory water bird species were “declining or already extinct”.
For further details see the BirdLife International report