UK Bird Populations Hit Record Low, Defra Figures Show

UK wild bird populations have fallen to their lowest level since records began, according to annual statistics published on 13 October 2026 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The release covers annual trends from 1970 to 2025 for the UK and England. Average populations across 132 native breeding bird species in the UK fell by 19% between 1970 and 2025, The Guardian reported, citing the Defra figures.

The decline is broad. Of those 132 species, 45% declined over the past five years while 27% increased. England fared worse. In England, 55% of monitored bird species declined over the past five years.

Seabirds showed the largest recent fall, down by more than a fifth over the past five years. Farmland bird populations in the UK decreased by 63% since 1970 and by 12% since 2020. Two migratory specialists lost ground quickly. Swift populations declined by about 25% in five years. Average populations of turtle doves fell by more than half in five years.

Not all paths point down. Red kite populations rose by 48% since 2019. Firecrest populations are up 300% since 2019.

The indices were compiled with the RSPB, the British Trust for Ornithology and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, according to Defra. The statistics were first published on 6 December 2012. Defra last updated the statistics page on 13 October 2026. The previous edition, titled Wild bird populations in the UK and England, 1970 to 2024, had been updated on 23 September 2025, following a change to the scaling of Figure 5.1 on 12 March 2025.

The broader context here is what a combined multispecies index can and cannot tell us. Think of it like a class average that hides big differences between pupils. The five-year window matters for people who use these numbers. It captures recent change in breeding numbers without letting the 1970 starting point shape the picture too much. On that basis, the current release points to pressures hitting at the same time rather than trouble in one group alone, with farmland, seabird and long-distance migrant measures moving down together while a small set of rising species partly lifts the average.

Looking at what this means for monitoring and policy use, the England-UK gap and the split by habitat need close reading. Short-term declines of 12% for farmland birds since 2020 sit inside a 63% long-term drop. That leaves less room to absorb more loss. Sharp falls for swifts and turtle doves next to strong gains for red kites and firecrests will make recovery harder to read. Bird numbers, range and breeding success do not move together, and headline indices will need to be read alongside trends for single species.