Cockney sparrows on brink of extinction after 68% decline

The cockney sparrow is on the verge of extinction in the capital, a major birdlife study has found.

The RSPB Breeding Bird Study, published tomorrow, shows sparrow numbers have dropped by 68 per cent since 1994 in London. Starling and blackbird populations have also declined significantly.

The RSPB said the key to its findings may be insects, an important part of the diet of all three declining species. Climate change, development and pollution are thought to have hit bug populations in London, forcing birds to compete for food.

For some species there was better news. Greenfinch numbers were up 139 per cent on 1994 figures. Great tits and chaffinches were also thriving.

The RSPB's Tim Webb said the study raised concerns for London's wildlife and urged people with gardens to make them more bird friendly."The RSPB's Homes for Wildlife campaign addresses some of the issues, we'll be relying on individuals to help us address declining bird numbers and the wider threat posed by climate change," he said.

Nearly 3,000 volunteers took part in the 2007 Breeding Bird Survey, countingmore than a million birds from 220 species throughout the UK.

Outside London, woodland birds topped the list of declining species. Wood warbler, spotted flycatcher, pied flycatcher and willow tit populations all fell by more than 50 per cent.