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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Matthew Pearce

‘Shocking and sobering’: UK bird populations fall to lowest level on record

A skylark in England.
The sound of skylarks could become only a memory, says one expert. Photograph: BIOSPHOTO/Alamy

Wild bird populations in the UK have fallen to their lowest level since records began, figures show, with nearly half of species in decline.

Figures produced by leading nature conservation bodies for the government show that average populations across 132 native breeding species fell by 19% between 1970 and 2025, with farmland birds and seabirds the worst hit in recent years.

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