One third of birds have gone from fields

Birds are disappearing from France’s fields at a “vertiginous speed” as scientists say a third of countryside birds have vanished over the past 15 years in what they called “close to an ecological catastrophe”.

France faces ‘silent springs’ ahead with no birdsong and researchers from CNRS nat­ion­al scientific res­earch centre and MNHN mus­eum of natural history said the decline had accelerated in the past two years but has been going on since the 1990s.

Worse, it was not a France-only problem as neighbouring countries including the UK are facing the same decline.

They blamed intensive farming methods for a vast loss of insects – down 75% across Europe in 30 years – and resulting in the “massive disappearance” of birds with all species of countryside birds affected.

Grégoire Loïs of Vigie-Nature/MNHN said: “Our studies looked at many habitats but those birds found in farmland, we call them open-field specialists, are collapsing.

“Linnets, yellowhammers – all buntings, in fact – lapwings, red partridge, kestrels, housemartin, quail are all badly affected.”

Mead­ow pipits are down 68%, partridges 80% and, he added, “turtle doves, shrikes, little owl and hoopoe are all gone.

“Colleagues in the UK tell us skylarks are no longer heard singing there – and that is the near future that is coming to us.

“We can say our farming methods are to blame as it is these open-field birds that are affected. We have no more large insects and this affects even non insect-eaters as fledglings are given insects to eat.”

He and other researchers are doing two studies: a national study across France and a more intensive one in Deux-Sèvres that looks at farmland, especially cereal fields.

Alarmingly, all rural birds were regressing at the same rate, even generalist species such as wood pigeons, blackbirds and chaffinches which adapt to most situations.

The study said the decline was particularly acute since 2008-2009 as “Europe’s set-aside scheme ended, with surging wheat prices, higher use of nitrate fertilisers and general use of neonicot­inoid pesticides”.

With no insects and the loss of habitat for birds like skylarks to nest and breed these open-field birds were collapsing.

Mr Loïs asked Connexion readers to learn more about birds and put political pressure on for change – or hear no more birdsong.