THE common starling is becoming less common, a third of northern lapwings have disappeared, and nearly half of Europe’s other 522 native bird species, including the house sparrow, snipe and corn bunting, face an uncertain future.
So says a report unveiled on Monday by BirdLife International to mark the 25th anniversary of the European Union’s Bird Directive, the first continent-wide legislation designed to protect native species.
Data from 52 European countries shows that 45 bird species are worse off than 10 years ago. Climate change and habitat-destroying intensive agriculture are thought to be to blame. “The continued decline of many…
