Greenfinches are common in woodlands, farmland, and gardens where there are plenty of trees and bushes.
One of the largest driving factors in the recent declines of greenfinch is the trichomonosis outbreaks that have been occurring since 2005. This disease can be spread through close contact with other birds and
sharing food and water sources and so keeping garden feeders clean is of upmost importance.
Starlings are widespread in the UK, occurring everywhere except for the most northern parts of Scotland.
They live in a variety of habitats, including urban, suburban, woodland, and farmland habitats. Reductions in insect availability may be proving challenging for starlings and reducing their first year, and adult survival. Insect declines are thought to be caused by pesticide use, land-use change and other agricultural practices along with climate change.
House martins can be found across the UK during the warmer months, where they are a welcome sight and are often looked upon as a sign of summer being on its way.
You can see them in towns and villages, as well as agricultural areas. Possible causes of the decline of house martins include less insect availability during breeding season, restricted nest site availability, limited access to mud for nest building and adverse weather conditions during migration.
Skylarks are a quintessential feature of our farmland and males can be seen flying vertically upwards and singing from great heights (up to 300m!) before descending back down.
The main threat to skylarks is the changes in, and intensification of, agriculture. Changes in crops have led to decreases in their preferred crops and increases in crops that create unsuitable habitats, such as winter cereals and heavily grazed grassland.
The willow tit is a specialist of our wet forests, it thrives in young, damp woodland with old dead wood in which it excavates its nest.
It is resident in wet woodland in England, Wales, and Southern Scotland. Willow tits have undergone the worst population declines of any resident UK bird. It has already become locally extinct in many areas where it was once common, leading to it being placed on the red list. The main driver of this decline is habitat loss and habitat change.
Yellowhammers are birds of the open countryside, most often found in farmland and wooded areas.
They are present across much of Britain and are typically associated with hedgerows. So, the loss of hedgerows in agricultural landscapes has been a large contributor to the decline of this species, and a reduction in insect prey for feeding chicks. Pesticide use is thought to be responsible for much of this insect decline.
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