Wildlife

Global warming, land use hit European mountain bird population

Global warming and land use change are reducing liveable habitats of European mountain birds and in turn their populations, says a study.

The researchers from the University of Helsinki found that population of mountain bird species declined by 7 per cent between 2002 and 2014, which is similar to the declining rate in common birds in Europe. But, the mountain-specialist birds showed a significant reduction — 10 per cent decline in population.

Other than population, the study also found distribution shifts of species towards mountaintops.

The study, which was published in the journal Global Change Biology, examined the population trends of 44 bird species in the mountain and fell regions of Fennoscandia, Great Britain, the Alps and the Iberian Peninsula. As many as 14 of the observed species’ population had decreased, while eight of them had increased.