Blackbirds numbers in London plummet amid spread of mosquito virus
Blackbirds numbers in London plummet amid spread of mosquito virus
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The number of blackbirds in London continues to decline due to a deadly mosquito-borne virus, ecologists are warning. The Usutu virus, originally detected in South Africa, has continued to impact numbers of UK blackbirds since it was first identified here five years ago.
Alarmingly, the number of blackbirds in London has fallen by around 40 per cent since 2018, partially due to the virus. According to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), the Usutu virus has now spread as far as East Anglia and Dorset, prompting further concern about blackbird numbers in southwest England.
Blackbird numbers have already dropped in most of southern and southwest England, and experts have warned that the virus may also spread to the Midlands. British ecologists have suggested that UK gardeners could help across the country by making minor adjustments to their gardens.
Hugh Hanmer, a senior BTO research ecologist, said: "We may encourage people to cover their water butts to stop mosquitoes getting in.". "That's a standard approach in countries where mosquito borne disease is a serious problem. He continued: "Wildlife-friendly gardening will also help, such as ponds, native bushes and trees not paving everything.".
“In particular, as Blackbird numbers were already decreasing in London, a large urban area, we want to know if anything similar is happening in other urban areas, or whether these changes are specific to the capital, and how this compares to smaller urban and more rural areas,” the study proposes.
