- The RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch has revealed significant long-term declines in the UK's starling and greenfinch populations.
- Starlings have reached record low numbers for the second consecutive year, showing an 85.1 per cent reduction since the survey began in 1979.
- Greenfinch populations remain two-thirds lower than 1979 levels, with their decline largely attributed to diseases like trichomonosis, which spreads at bird feeders.
- The RSPB is urging households to adjust their bird feeding practices, recommending seasonal feeding, regular cleaning of feeders, and avoiding flat-surfaced feeders to mitigate disease transmission.
- Over 650,000 people participated in this year's birdwatch, which also noted a surge in migratory species like redwing and fieldfare.
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