British birds facing winter ‘wildlife emergency’
Britain’s birds are facing a “wildlife emergency,” the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has warned as the country remained in the grip of the coldest winter weather in decades.
The RSPB said that the weeks-long freeze meant that many birds were finding it impossible to feed and drink as snow and ice left the ground and bodies of water frozen solid.
“This is a wildlife emergency,” said RSPB director of conservation Mark Avery. “Many birds cannot feed at all as the ground is frozen, and in many places their feeding places are also covered in deep snow. The long frozen period is even beginning to resemble the winter of 1962-63, which did more damage to Britain’s birds than anything else in our lifetimes.”
The 1963 cold spell devastated many rare species of birds, with just 11 pairs of Dartford warblers surviving the freeze.
The RSPB is appealing to people everywhere to put out food for birds in their gardens, while volunteers will attempt emergency feeding for three rare and recovering species — the Dartford warbler, the cirl bunting and the bittern.
Conservation groups also urged people not to disturb birds such as ducks and geese to allow them to preserve energy and keep warm. A temporary ban on shooting ducks, geese and wading birds has been introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland and conervationists urged shooters in England to show restraint.
“We are urging all shooters to assess their local conditions, and if they see birds in poor condition, or conditions are harsh, they should hold back from shooting ducks, geese and waders,” said British Association for Shooting and Conservation spokesman Simon Clarke.
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