Alarming decline in insects means a fall in bird populations

A huge decline in farmland birds in Europe is believed to be mirrored here. Another reason, perhaps, why so many extra voters turned to the Green party in the local and European elections.

Numbers of farmland birds in 28 European countries have fallen 55% in three decades, according to figures from the European Bird Census Council. Birdwatch Ireland says two thirds of our 202 regularly occurring birds are red and amber-listed. Those are the two most critical conservation ratings.