Scientists warn the UK’s Dawn Chorus is getting QUIETER

Scientists warn the UK’s Dawn Chorus is getting QUIETER,

There’s something lovely about waking up to the sound of birds tweeting – but that symphony could soon be coming to an end, experts have warned.

Scientists say the morning concert – called the Dawn Chorus – is getting quieter as bird numbers plummet.

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) said populations of our most familiar songsters including the chaffinch and willow warbler are on the decline.

As a result, the Dawn Chorus is now a ‘much–diminished event’ compared to previous generations that experienced a louder, fuller and more resonant soundscape.

Experts warned the symphony has become an ‘aural shadow’ of its former self thanks to disease and climate change.

The bleak revelation comes ahead of International Dawn Chorus Day on May 3, when Brits can usually expect to enjoy the very essence of spring through the early morning birdsong.

Dr James Heywood, who organises the annual Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), said: ‘The Dawn Chorus is still a major highlight in nature’s calendar, and I would encourage everyone to get out there and enjoy it.

‘However, what BBS shows is that the future of this remarkable free symphony is at risk of becoming little more than a whisper if we do not act to reverse these worrying declines.’

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) said populations of our most familiar songsters including the willow warbler (pictured) are on the decline 

The recently published BBS report is the main scheme for monitoring population changes in the UK’s most common and widespread breeding birds.

It reveals one of the avian choir’s most familiar songsters, the chaffinch, has experienced severe declines of 36 per cent between 1995 and 2024.

The main driver of this decline is trichomonosis, a virulent disease which has also affected greenfinch and collared dove numbers.

Climate change, meanwhile, appears to be severely impacting a number of species including the willow warbler, which are known for their melodious and complex song.

Whilst populations are growing in the north of Britain and Northern Ireland, this species is in severe decline in England, down 47 per cent between 1995–2024.

Similarly, although song thrushes continue to recover from earlier population crashes in northern regions, there has been no change in south–west and south–east England, while in London there has been a continued decline of 47 per cent since 1995. 

Its larger cousin, mistle thrush, has declined almost everywhere and is 40 per cent down across the UK overall.

The songbird with the largest decline across the UK is the willow tit – down by 92 per cent since 1995.

Although song thrushes (pictured) continue to recover from earlier population crashes in northern regions, in London there has been a continued decline of 47 per cent since 1995 

Even the humble house sparrow, whose resonant chirping is a key component in any urban Dawn Chorus, continues to disappear from Britain’s rooftops.

Following massive declines in the 1970s and 1980s, the population level in 2025 was the lowest ever recorded in the time since monitoring began.

However, there has been some tangible improvements in areas where large–scale conservation efforts are implemented. 

The creation and restoration of wetlands, for example, has contributed to an increase of 51 per cent in reed warblers since 1995.

Professor Juliet Vickers, CEO of BTO, said: ‘Despite decades of effort to reverse some of the severe challenges faced by many of the UK’s birds, we are still witnessing catastrophic declines across many of our landscapes.

‘And this matters because these songsters are important indicators of the health of our natural world – a natural world on which we all depend.’

The RSPB’s Big Garden birdwatch recently found that greenfinch numbers in Britain have plummeted, leaving the species at risk of extinction.

The charity revealed numbers of these beloved garden birds have fallen by 67 per cent since the annual survey began in 1979.

While the RSPB maintains it is ‘extremely unlikely’ that the greenfinch will go extinct, the ‘severe population drop’ has put the common bird on the UK Red List for endangered species.

According to the charity, this decline is due to the spread of trichomonosis, which is transmitted at bird feeders.

While putting out food for birds can have some benefits, the experts say that there are still risks that they ‘don’t fully understand’.

The RSPB is encouraging gardeners to be careful how they feed birds this summer to avoid spreading the fatal infection.

‘Feeding birds is something millions of us love and value, but the science shows us that birds such as Greenfinches have been affected by the spread of disease at feeder,’ said RSPB’s chief executive, Beccy Speight.

While the RSPB isn’t asking gardeners to stop feeding birds altogether, the charity is now changing its advice to recommend ‘safe and seasonable’ feeding.

The disease spreads most easily in the warmer months between May 1 and October 31.

During these times, the RSPB suggests that gardeners stop filling up feeders with peanuts and seeds to prevent too many birds gathering and increasing the risk of infection. However, small amounts of mealworms or fat balls can still be offered safely throughout the year.