Efe Ozkan
14 October 2026•Update: 14 October 2026
Wild bird populations in the UK have fallen to their lowest level since records began, with nearly half of monitored species in decline, according to compliled figures released on Tuesday by leading conservation bodies.
Average populations of 132 native breeding species fell 19% between 1970 and 2025, with farmland birds and seabirds among the worst-affected groups, according to The Guardian.
Professor Richard Gregory, head of monitoring at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), described the findings as “shocking and sobering.”
Of the 132 species monitored, 45% declined over the past five years, while 27% increased. In England, 55% of monitored species declined.
Turtle dove populations have fallen by more than half in five years, while tree sparrows, wood warblers, and capercaillie also saw significant declines. Swift populations fell by about 25% over the same period, while bullfinches declined at a similar rate nationally.
Seabird populations fell by more than a fifth over the past five years. Dr. Ailidh Barnes of the British Trust for Ornithology said avian flu had “decimated” species including Arctic skuas and terns.
Farmland birds have suffered the steepest long-term decline, with populations down 63% since 1970 and 12% since 2020.
The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) attributes the long-term decline to changes in farming practices, including the loss of mixed farming, increased use of pesticides and fertilizers, and the removal of hedgerows.
