Bird Conservation - Page 7

New research indicates that large numbers of these birds in the Galapagos has fallen in the past 20 years, because they have stopped breeding.

It is not that birds are unaware of their surroundings; they are simply not primed, via learning or evolution, to detect hazardous man-made structures that extend into their airspace.

Many birds living in colder climes head south for the winter to avoid harsh weather conditions. Yet climate change is making winters warmer and as a result, some raptors are not travelling as far south as they used to.

The population of the Bonelli’s Eagle is experiencing a decreasing population trend. It is most at risk in western Europe and is one of France’s most threatened species.

The Turtle Dove is one of England’s most threatened farmland birds. Since the 1970s, it has declined by 93% and there has been a reduction in breeding attempts from up to four per year to just one.

This species is restricted to riparian areas in Russia, China, Japan and possibly North Korea, and it now has been revealed that they are a key indicator of the health of the primary forests in which they live.

Barn owls are adversely affected by large amounts of rainfall. They hunt in daylight, detecting prey primarily by sound, therefore relying on dry leaf litter to find voles and mice.

Conservationists revealed that an innovative project has increased numbers of black-throated divers from a low of 180 pairs in the late 1980s, when the project first started, to 240 pairs in 2012. The project aimed to recreate ideal breeding habitat for the birds to nest and raise their chicks.

It is our tallest breeding bird and its majestic appearance ensured that it frequently featured in art, mythology and legends.