Research has shown a decline in the sparrow population in Europe This is evidenced by data from a joint study by scientists from the British charity Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), BirdLife International and the Czech Society of Ornithology.
The authors of the study analyzed data on 378 bird species that inhabit the countries of the European Union and the United Kingdom. They noticed that from 1980 to 2017, the total number of nesting birds declined by 17-19 percent, with about 600 million individuals disappearing. The house sparrow suffered the most. According to the study, he lost half of his population – 247 million individuals. The population of its close relative, the Eurasian tree sparrow, has decreased by 30 million individuals. Also in Europe, the number of other species has decreased: yellow wagtails have decreased by 97 million, starlings – by 75 million, larks – by 68 million.
The researchers note that the extinction of both sparrow species could be influenced by changes in agricultural practices, including the use of chemicals in agriculture that kill insects, which serve as one of the main types of food for birds. At the same time, house sparrows disappeared from many European cities for reasons that remain a mystery to scientists. The researchers speculate that food shortages, diseases (such as avian malaria) and air pollution could have contributed to these effects.
“This report shows that nature is sounding the alarm. While the protection of birds that are already rare or endangered has led to some success, it does not seem to be enough to support populations of numerous other species, ”Anna Staneva, acting head of the BirdLife Europe conservation service, told The Guardian … According to her, the common species of birds are becoming less and less, because their habitat is being destroyed by people. “Governments across Europe must legally establish binding goals for nature restoration. Otherwise, the consequences will be serious, including for our own species, “she said.
Climate change caused by human activities has previously led to the fact that in the United States in the fall, trees began to turn yellow later or remained green altogether. Due to the dry summer, the trees did not have time to change color and shed their green foliage, thereby disrupting their life cycle. Climate change has also led to an increase in the incidence of diseases in trees due to pests, which more often began to penetrate into the plant. In September 2021, experts warned that such problems would worsen every year around the world.