Half of world's birds in decline

The expansion and intensification in agriculture is the leading threat to birds, the report said, impacting at least 73 percent of threatened species. Unsustainable logging and management of forests is another significant threat, impacting nearly half of threatened bird species.

Birds play an essential role in the health of ecosystems around the world, said Patricia Zurita, who is Bird Life chief executive. They are predators, pollinators, seed dispersers, and scavengers, and help to move and cycle nutrients across wide ranges.

"Birds tell us about the health of our natural environment — we ignore their messages at our peril," Zurita said. "While the COVID-19 pandemic and global cost of living crisis have undoubtedly diverted attention from the environmental agenda, global society must remain focused on the biodiversity crisis."