More Birds Leaving Wales

The Greenfinch, the Rook and the Swift have been added to the Red List of seriously-threatened Welsh species (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/07/rook-and-swift-added-to-threatened-bird-species-list-in-wales). There are now 60 bird species on the Welsh Red List, accounting for 25% of those found in the country. The most dramatic declines have occurred in the last 20 years. Farmland-associated birds are especially at risk due to changing practices. The Rook, for example, has shown a 63% decline in Wales, contrasting with only a 20% fall in numbers across the entire UK. The Swift has probably been hit especially badly by the shortage of suitable nesting sites, under the eaves of buildings. This is not a good Christmas present for twitchers!