turtledove

Sad but true, below are four beautiful birds which have been reported to be on the decline:
-  Cuckoo
-  Willow Warbler
-  Turtle Dove
-  Yellowhammer
I was rather shocked to find out this information.
Cuckoos have been in rapid decline since the early 1980s.I don’t know why I was so surprised to learn this as I can’t remember the last time I heard the enchanting call of a Cuckoo, it must have been when I was growing up in the 1980’s actually.  There is a continuing strong decline in England and Wales, but not in Scotland. Cuckoo numbers may have fallen because the populations of some key host species have also declined such as Meadow Pipit and Dunnock, along with certain British moths which may have reduced food supplies for returning adults and the species may also be suffering difficulties on migration or in Winter.

Willow Warbler population and territories are in rapid decline and this came about during the 1980s and early 1990s. This decline occurred mainly in southern Britain, however, accompanied by a fall in survival rates, Scottish populations remained unaffected although figures since 1994 indicate a stark contrast between an initially upward trend in Scotland and in Northern Ireland and continued severe decreases in England and in Wales.  Again, like the Cuckoo, migration difficulties are likely to be affecting the population as is a reduction in habitat quality on the breeding grounds and there is a small but very important decrease in the number of fledglings per breeding attempt.  Numbers have shown widespread moderate decrease across Europe since 1980 also.

Turtle Doves have been reported to be in severe decline and this began in the late 1970s and is still continuing to this present day.  It is said that hunting during migration is a possible cause of the UK decline.  The productivity per nesting attempt has increased through the analysis of nest record cards and ringing data for farmland Turtle Doves, but the annual survival has fallen, therefore Turtle Doves today have a substantially earlier close to the breeding season and consequently produce barely half the number of clutches and young per pair they did in the 1960s for example.  Turtle Dove is one of the most strongly declining bird species in Europe.

Yellowhammer also in rapid decline.  Again, the decline came about in the mid 1980s on farmland especially, except in Scotland and unfortunately, has continued.  Although there is information stating that survival rates have decreased during the period of decline and the breeding performance has also tended to improve, there are declines in clutch and brood size and the success of the nest.  It is reported that reductions in the availability of winter seed food as a result of agricultural intensification, are widely believed to have contributed to the population decline.