Birdlife in decline in Europe

More than 40 per cent of all bird species in Europe face an uncertain future and some may disappear soon because of intensive agriculture and climate change, scientists say.

The house sparrow, starling, wood warbler and corn bunting are among those declining alarmingly.

BirdLife International said in a report that 226 species, or 43 per cent of all European bird types, are threatened. Many of them are declining, while other populations have failed to recover from declines in the 1970s and 1980s.