Birds of prey in Africa experiencing population collapse, study finds

A bateleur in South Africa. Birds of prey numbers have been declining across the continent for decades due to the expansion of agriculture. Photograph: The Peregrine Fund

Africa’s birds of prey have experienced a widespread population collapse that risks unforeseen consequences for humans, according to a new study.

Tropical raptor species including the martial eagle, the bateleur and the dark chanting goshawk have vanished from swathes of the African continent over the past 40 years, new analysis shows, as many wild areas were converted to farmland. Several African birds of prey are on track to become locally extinct in many countries this century.