Meadow bird numbers plunge as modern farming changes countryside

The black-tailed godwit is a rare sight. Photo: Ellywa via Wikimedia Commons

The number of meadow birds in the Netherlands has plunged 70% since the 1960s and some once-familiar species have almost disappeared from the rural landscape, national statistics office CBS said on Monday.

Some 750,000 of the 1.1 million skylark pairs have vanished, while the partridge population has shrunk by 93%, the CBS says. Turtle dove, tree sparrow and black-tailed godwit numbers have all shrunk enormously despite efforts to keep populations stable.

The pattern is similar across Europe, according to European figures.

The CBS says in the Netherlands the conversion of vast swathes of agricultural land for housing and roads means there is less land for birds.

Changes in farming techniques, the greater use of fertilizer and more frequent mowing is also reducing the variety insects which the birds eat. Mowing also destroys more bird nests while drainage destroys traditional habitats and breeding grounds.

At the same time, the population of wild geese has soared to some 2.4 million and measures are underway to reduce their number because of the damage caused to crops and grassland, the CBS said.

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