Some bird species halved in Scotland due to climate crisis – study
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Hot and wet weather has led to the population of Scotland’s most famous bird species, including grouse, blackbirds and skylarks, halving over the past 30 years.
In a study conducted by the public organization NatureScot, scientists have mapped bird populations in Scotland from the 1990s to 2022. They found significant changes in the number and species of birds, which, in their opinion, may be related to the driest summer in the country in the last 25 years, writes The Guardian.
Land-breeding birds are considered good indicators of overall biodiversity because they respond quickly to changes in habitat. However, their total number began to decrease from the 1990s. For example, black grouse, blackbirds and skylarks have declined by more than 50% due to factors such as increased summer rainfall, deforestation and land-use changes.
In total, only 4 of the 66 species monitored remained stable in population over the 28-year period.
| Black cock. Photo: OndrejProsicky/Depositphotos |
Simon Foster, NatureScot’s trends and indicators analyst, believes climate is “one of the key drivers of change for breeding birds in Scotland”.
“This study shows how current weather will affect bird populations in future years. As extreme weather events such as floods and heatwaves become more common, we need to ensure that the latest scientific advances are used to improve bird habitats in ScotlandFoster added.
Initiatives such as forest diversification, peatland restoration schemes and farmers’ work to create new habitats must be stepped up in the coming years to solve the problem, he stressed.
Some species of birds, according to the researchers, on the contrary, increased their population due to dry weather. For example, the number of the great spotted woodpecker has increased by more than 500%, and the number of woodpeckers and warblers has increased by 50%.
For some birds, Scotland becomes a “climate haven” because its temperatures are close to those preferred by species accustomed to warmer environments.
One such bird species is the willow warbler, which historically bred in Europe and migrated to southern Africa in winter, but has increased its population in Scotland by more than 50% since 1994.
Some species, such as goldfinches and magpies, have also doubled their population on Scottish farmland since 1994.
Read also: Giant apes extinct likely due to climate change – study
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