Wildlife

Late Nesting Habits

Birds and bumblebees that nest later in the year are under threat and declining in population because of habitat losses.

Researchers from the University of Exeter discovered that species that nest in April or May rather than in February or March are disappearing more rapidly. A loss of wild shrubs and trees that line fields and roads, along with disappearing meadows in many countries, are factors in the declining populations.

“Fighting over nest sites may be part of the reason — when nest sites are hard to come by, the species that will suffer most are those that nest later in the year,” said researcher Andrew Higginson.