Sightings of starlings in Scots gardens fall by a fifth in ten years

SIGHTINGS of starlings in gardens in Scotland have fallen by almost a fifth in the past decade, and by 50 per cent in some parts of the country, a major new survey has revealed.

The starling, famous for its dusk displays known as murmurations, has seen a steady decline in numbers south of the Border.

Now the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is warning that a similar trend seems to be happening to the birds in Scotland.

Noted for their iridescent colouring and squabbling bird-table behaviour, the starling is often regarded as one of the most commonly observed garden visitors.

However, results from the RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch show sightings in Scotland have declined by an average of 17 per cent in Scotland over the past decade.

Gardens in East Dunbartonshire saw the biggest drop, with 53 per cent fewer birds seen, followed by Renfrewshire, at 47 per cent. Twenty-three of Scotland’s counties recorded a decline.

This year the house sparrow overtook the chaffinch as the most commonly-seen bird, with an average of 5.5 birds spotted in 70 per cent of gardens. The starling retained its position in third place. The blue tit came forth and the blackbird was fifth.

Keith Morton, species policy officer at RSPB Scotland, said: “The fact this bird ranked third in this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch shows that it is still a fairly common garden regular.

“However, looking back on the results over the years it is clear that where once you may have seen as many as 15 of these highly sociable birds at any one time, nowadays, in some areas you may see as few as two or three.

“The causes are not well understood and because many starlings migrate from breeding grounds in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe to winter here then declines may reflect environmental changes elsewhere in Europe.

“However, UK-wide surveys are revealing declines in our own breeding starling populations too, so it is clear that further work is needed to understand these losses.”

Possible causes include changes in their feeding habits and reductions in their insect food in the soil. Their decline is mirrored across northern Europe, making the bird “red-listed” as a high cause for concern.

A record-breaking 53,000 Scots took part in this year’s survey, each spending one hour over the weekend of 28 and 29 January recording the wildlife in their gardens or local parks.

Mr Morton added: “It’s great to see so many people stepping up for nature by taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch. The results are an important piece of the jigsaw when monitoring garden birds numbers.

Full details of the RSPB’s bird watch survey: click here to view thesteamie.scotsman.com/viewpost.aspx?id=565