Roofvogels

The Chesapeake Bay is host to the largest breeding population of osprey (Pandion haliaetus) in the world. They tell us when spring is here and give us clues about the bay's health. Now, as osprey begin their annual migration to Central and South America, biologists say there’s been a decline in population during the last few years.

Cambodia's vultures are facing a high risk of extinction and have seen a 50 percent decline in number since 2003, conservationist groups said in a joint statement on Monday. "Only 121 of the birds were recorded in this year's national census, the lowest number on record since 2003," said the joint statement released by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), BirdLife International, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and Angkor Center for Conservation of Biodiversity. "Recent reviews indicate that poisoning is the major threat to the vulture population in Cambodia," the statement said.

Not so long ago, on a drive down a rural road in Minnesota you’d often see an American kestrel (Falco sparverius) perched on a power line, watching for a dragonfly or small rodent to pass beneath. If you were really lucky, you’d spot this smallest member of the falcon family flapping its wings in its unusual hovering flight as it watched for prey. Such sights are becoming increasingly rare. These handsome little raptors, about the size of a mourning dove, are suffering a long-term and widespread population decline.

The RSPB has flagged up concerns about the decline of hen harriers (Circus cyaneus) in Northern Ireland, with just 46 breeding pairs left in the region, a fall of 22 per cent since 2010 when there were 59. According to BirdWatch Ireland in 2015 there were an estimated 108-157 breeding pairs in the Republic, a decline of 8.7 per cent since a 2010 survey which recorded 128-172 pairs.

Es kann keinen Zweifel mehr geben, dass das „Insektensterben“ von großer Tragweite ist, für die Landwirtschaft, für die Ökosysteme und die Biodiversität im Land, und nicht zuletzt für alle, die sich einen Frühling ohne Schmetterlinge nicht vorstellen können. Fakt ist ein Rückgang von Insekten und insektenfressenden Wirbeltieren in Deutschland. Als Hauptgrund für dieses „Verschwinden“ wird jeweils der Einsatz von systemischen Insektiziden vermutet. Diese Stoffe wirken auf das Nervensystem und somit auf den Orientierungssinn und das Verhalten von Insekten und anderen Gliedertieren.

Bei uns im Vorgarten liegt eine tote Eule“, wandte sich vor ein paar Tagen ein Anwohner der Wilhelm-Dienst-Straße in Flörsheim an Bernd Zürn vom BUND. Der war sich ziemlich sicher: Das tote Tier war eine Waldohreule (Asio otus). Als Todesursache vermutet Zürn eine klaffende frische Wunde neben dem Schnabel. Das Tier lag unter einem hohen und sehr dicht beasteten Nadelbaum, den die Eulen gern als Schlafplatz nutzen. Die ungewöhnlich große Menge an Gewölle, den ausgewürgten Speiseresten, die unter dem Baum lag, überraschte sogar Bernd Zürn.

There are now 46 breeding pairs left in Northern Ireland, a fall of 22% since 2010, when there were 59 pairs, and the numbers are also declining elsewhere in the UK, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) reports. The hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) population has suffered a decline of 88 pairs (13%) over the past six years with a total UK population estimated to be 545 pairs, according to the latest figures from the fifth national hen harrier survey. Known for their majestic skydancing ritual, this graceful bird is one of the most threatened birds of prey in the UK.

The hen harrier (Circus cyaneus), an iconic bird of prey, is heading towards the brink of extinction in England, new figures suggest. There are just four breeding pairs left in England and numbers are declining elsewhere in the UK. Scotland is the traditional stronghold of these raptors, but numbers have fallen 9% since 2010. Numbers in England fell from twelve pairs in 2010 to just four in 2016.