birds, species endangered?

One swallow does not make a summer and being less and less. Endangered, protected species, it is gradually disappearing from our landscape and it is not the only one.

The birds are scarce. Midi-Pyrénées, we are strongly involved. For Jean Ramière, ornithologist and project manager for Nature Midi-Pyrénées, the situation is worrying. "Birds are fairly reliable indicators of the state of the natural environment. Their disappearance shows that some areas are no longer working properly and should eventually be destroyed. They also alert us to the risks of future pollution, water, soil ... ". Beyond this indicator role, birds have a "heritage value we must protect." The Midi-Pyrénées region, the largest in France, is composed of very different environments allowing a proliferation of birds. But these are dangerously threatened by intensive agriculture, pesticides, disappearances hedges ... In the Pyrenees, there are only a few pairs of rock raptors such as bearded vultures or Egyptian vultures vultures. Their life is endangered by the rise of outdoor sports, despite agreements with some villages. In the fields, look no further larks or Thick-knees screaming, they finally disappeared. In the city, if the number of birds remained broadly stable, the number of species, it declined markedly. Pollution and destruction of nests by individuals got the better of the most fragile birds. The "Nature Midi-Pyrénées" Association takes to heart the problem of birds. Each endangered species is followed, the sites are protected, certain hurdles are replanted. But specialists are calling for a general reflection on the modes of agriculture and ecological continuity in order to give the scoop to nature and save the birds in danger.

For scientists at the National Museum of Natural History, the conclusion is clear. Since 1989, France has lost 10% of its nesting birds. The species most affected are those living in rural areas and those squat buildings, barns, towers (20% decrease). It is high time to take care of our guests sky.