Conservationists have warned that British birds are being “pushed past their limits” as official figures showed ongoing declines in species in all habitats. Overall native wild breeding bird populations have declined by 18% across the UK and by 19% in England since 1970, the figures show. In the short term, bird populations have fallen 4% across the UK and by 7% in the five years since 2019, the latest data shows. “We need the UK Government to roll out a set of effective and well-funded nature-friendly schemes at scale, enabling farmers to manage 10% for nature, providing the year-round resources for farmland birds to rebound. “Through record investment in nature-friendly farming, we are putting the foundations in place to reverse this trend and ensure the recovery of our bird populations”.