LONDON, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Government figures show populations of wild birds are falling, with British farmland bird numbers only half what they were 40 years ago, conservationists say.
Only seabird populations remain comfortably above 1970 levels, the figures show while woodland birds have experienced a 24 percent decline, The Guardian reported Thursday.
Habitat changes leading to fewer nesting sites and food shortages were blamed for sharp English farm bird losses, but the reasons for the decline in woodland birds are less clear, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said.
Research has suggested agricultural intensification resulting in less vegetation cover and scrub and changing winter climate may be factors in the woodland bird decline.
The RSPB said a "staggering" 50 of 250 species in Britain were now on a growing "red" list of species whose conservation was a concern.
"Our bird populations are a good indicator of the wider health of our environment and it is clear that more needs to be done to support the recovery of farmland and woodland birds," said Richard Benyon, minister for the natural environment in England.
"Many people will have a part to play and we look forward to working with charities and landowners to reverse this trend."
