Starlings are becoming a rarer sight in gardens

by Victoria Mizzi

Kent’s hedgerows are no longer bustling with some of their chirpiest inhabitants - figures show the county's starling population has declined by more than two-thirds.

The RSPB is stepping up its action to help with a research project to see why the UK’s flocks are falling.

In 2002, the starling was added to the UK ‘red list’ of the Birds of Conservation Concern, because its population had halved during the previous 30 years.

In Kent, while they are still the second-most recorded bird in the county, a survey found this year an average of 4.5 birds were seen per garden compared to 12 birds recorded per garden in 1991.

This is drop of almost 70% over the past two decades.

Each winter, birds arriving from continental Europe boost the UK’s starling numbers.

There is evidence of a decline in the number of starlings visiting the UK in winter and this could be linked to the decline elsewhere in Europe.

The RSPB’s Dr Richard Gregory, from the RSPB’s bird monitoring section, said: "The starling is still a plentiful bird, but its numbers are falling alarmingly."

"Our records show that we have lost more starlings across Europe than any other farmland bird. Forty million starlings lost represents over 150 for every hour since the 1980s. This loss should be a wake-up call, because we ignore the decline of nature at our own peril.”

Dr Will Peach, who is leading the research into the starling decline in the UK, said: "It is figures like these which have convinced us of the need for action, which is why we are launching a research programme to unravel the mystery of this bird’s disappearance."