Saturday, August 05, 2006

Scientists blame cats for decline of sparrows

SO AFTER all, it could have been the cat. Years of research have confirmed that the domestic feline is a prime suspect in the disappearance of the house sparrow from Britain's gardens, parks and suburban hedgerows.

After one of the biggest ornithological exercises on record, scientists believe they are only five years from identifying the definitive cause of the huge drop in the sparrow population.

Increased cat ownership, the resurgence of the predatory sparrowhawk, pollution, and the loss of valuable feeding grounds and nesting sites are being most actively considered as reasons in follow- up studies.

But researchers said they were highly suspicious that the decline of the house sparrow - down by 10 million compared with 30 years ago - had been accompanied by the rise of the urban cat.

Dr Humphrey Crick, the lead author of the report, which was funded by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: "It could be a combination. If the food supply gets worse the sparrows put themselves into riskier situations, and then they get caught by the cats."

The report, Investigation into the Causes of the Decline of Starlings and House Sparrows in Great Britain, published today, points to a sharp fall in survival rates among young birds in the 1970s for triggering the decline, which is most acute in towns and cities. London and Edinburgh have seen some of the worst problems.


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