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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Tomé Morrissy-Swan

Streets named after birds in Britain on rise as species’ populations plummet

An adult starling
An adult starling. Road names featuring starling have risen by 156%, the RSPB found. Photograph: Helen Davies/Alamy

Britain’s street names are being inspired by skylarks, lapwings and starlings, even as bird populations decline.

According to a report by the RSPB, names such as Skylark Lane and Swift Avenue are increasingly common. Using OS Open Names data from 2004 to 2024, the conservation charity found that road names featuring bird species had risen by 350% for skylarks, 156% for starlings and 104% for lapwings, despite populations of these having fallen in the wild.

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