According to BirdLife Austria’s 2021 Farmland Bird Index, 40 percent of birds have disappeared from their original fields and pastures since 1998. Despite numerous agri-environmental programs, stocks are declining, with about three quarters of breeding birds surveyed reporting losses. The corn bunting is especially affected here, where the population has even decreased by 94 percent.
The bird is mainly threatened by intensive farming, a lack of empty fields and field margins and the use of pesticides. EU regulations, which provide for the release of fallow land for conventional farming, are accelerating the extinction of the birds. Thus the monotonous and metallic “tück tück-zig-zik-zkzkzkzrississss” of the Korenbunting falls silent almost forever. The effects are hardly reversible.
The background is that the corn bunting needs fallow land to survive, which is an important refuge and at the same time a source of food. While these were created automatically in the past, today they are only insured by state grants. In this case, the fallow land can no longer be used economically and develop into a vital breeding ground for the bunting.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
