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.
Van de 263 onderzochte vogelsoorten die Nederland aandoen als doortrekker of wintergast zijn er 39 op de nieuwe ‘Rode Lijst’ van bedreigde vogels terecht gekomen en negen op de oranje lijst. De oranje lijst is een lijst van vogels die de afgelopen tien jaar constant in aantal zijn afgenomen en dus ook in de gevarenzone dreigen te komen. Van de wintergasten en doortrekkers die in ons land achteruit zijn gegaan, broeden er zo’n dertien op de toendra.
Sparrowhawks are most frequently seen in gardens during the autumn and winter months, a time when numbers are swelled with juveniles and when the smaller birds they prey on are flocking into gardens to feed. January 2016 saw the highest average counts of Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) for the time of year but since summer 2016 numbers have been abnormally low, according to Garden BirdWatch. They were only seen in 8% of gardens in December, well below average and a 5% reduction on December 2015. Sparrowhawks are not always popular garden visitors, as they feed on other garden birds.
The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is one of nature's most awe-inspiring predators. Once an isolated cliff-dwelling hunter, these birds are now a high-flying slice of the natural world visible right outside our condos and skyscrapers. But 50 years ago, Canadian peregrine falcons were on the ropes. Once-common, their numbers had plummeted as a result of widespread DDT use. In the span of 10 years, it disappeared entirely from Ontario. It only began to creep back, bird by bird, in 1990.
Vultures are one of the most threatened families of birds in the entire world and their decline has been shockingly rapid. Some species in Africa and the Indian subcontinent have declined by over 95% in the last few decades, a rate faster than even that of the Passenger Pigeon or Dodo. Many old world vultures are now Critically Endangered – meaning they are at risk of going extinct in our lifetimes.
Researchers at Audubon Greenwich’s Quaker Ridge hawk watch site are alarmed that they’ve seen only 8,025 hawks over the fall migration season this year, the second lowest total in more than three decades of collecting data. In years past, they have seen as many as 30,000 hawks in a single day, said Ryan MacLean, the official hawk counter at the site. “We have 31 years of data, and unfortunately out of 31 years, this is our second lowest on record,” MacLean said.
„Mit der neuen Roten Liste der Vögel ist eine umfassende Bestandsaufnahme über den Zustand der hessischen Vogelwelt erfolgt. Das ist wichtige Grundlage, um darauf aufbauend Maßnahmen zu ihrem Schutz ergreifen zu können“, sagte Umweltstaatssekretärin Dr. Beatrix Tappeser anlässlich der Veröffentlichung der neuen Roten Liste der bestandsgefährdeten Brutvogelarten Hessens, die vom Umweltministerium herausgegeben wird.
High brown Fritillary butterfly - Once widespread it is now reduced to around 50 sites and threatened with extinction; Great Crested Newt – a sharp decline with only around 75,000 existing across the country; Hen Harrier – One of Britain’s most threatened birds of prey with only around 600 breeding pairs left; Hazel Dormouse – declined by one third in recent years and it is not extinct in 17 counties; Barbastelle Bat – widespread decline and fewer than 5,000 remaining; Ringed plover – only 5,600 breeding pairs remaining; Water vole – populations have dropped by 90 per cent in recent years;
Zangvogels zijn de voornaamste prooi van sperwers, met name huismus, vink, merel, spreeuw en mees. Het vrouwtje vangt ook grotere prooien als de Turkse tortel. De sperwer jaagt vanuit dekking, of met een plotselinge, snelle vlucht in het voorbijgaan.Hoewel het de Sperwer (Accipiter nisus) landelijk goed vergaat, is er onder andere op de Veluwe in de jaren negentig een halvering tot lokaal zelfs een decimering van de stand vastgesteld.
Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) numbers in Ireland are continuing to decline, according to the results of a new survey. The number of breeding pairs has also declined even within special areas of conservation set up to protect the bird. The 2015 survey showed there are between 108 and 157 breeding pairs across Ireland, down by 8.7 per cent since the 2010 survey, the research team said.