Europe has lost half a billion birds in 40 years 

Europe has lost over half a billion birds in 40 years. The single biggest cause? Pesticides and fertilisers, writes Richard Gregory 

Modern farming methods were the biggest cause of decline for most bird populations — especially for those that feed on insects and other invertebrates, such as swifts, yellow wagtails, spotted flycatchers, wheatears, and stonechats. 

A trickle of studies warning the enormous variety of living things on Earth is diminishing has turned into a flood. 

The evidence for these losses within regions and globally is undeniable.