One of the most easily recognisable garden birds here in the UK is, of course, the blackbird – and it’s lovely to see them hopping about in the undergrowth, searching for bugs and grubs. They’re also one of the very first birds to start singing in the dawn chorus every morning, so keep your ears open to hear their distinctive twittering when you wake up.
But, sadly, it seems that blackbird numbers are facing a new existential threat in the form of a mosquito-borne disease, which has spread across swathes of southern England over the last five years, the BBC reports.
The Usutu virus can be spread to birds via infected insects and, thanks to hotter temperatures, longer summers and heavy rainfall, we’re starting to see problems manifest in this country where previously there hadn’t been an issue because of inhospitable mosquito environments.
First detected over 50 years ago in southern Africa, around the Usutu River, the virus has since spread around the world, first reaching European shores three decades ago. The first time it was identified in the UK was in 2020.
Blackbirds are particularly susceptible and the latest data shows that the virus has spread further than expected, although how big a risk it poses to wild birds is not yet fully understood.
Currently, it has been detected in southern England, as far west as Dorset and as far north as Cambridgeshire – but the good news is that, despite mass die-offs of blackbirds seen elsewhere in Europe, this doesn’t seem to have happened yet in the UK.
Speaking to the news source, Dr Arran Folly of the Animal and Plant Health Agency said: “We’ve seen that the virus has spread further than we thought it might do and it’s persisted.
“Blackbirds specifically are quite susceptible to the virus and since 2020 we’ve found a decline in blackbirds of approximately 40 per cent in Greater London. It gives an indication that in the future we might get other viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes emerging in the UK.”
The British Trust for Ornithology is now calling on people to count the blackbirds in their gardens over the summer months so they can find out more about their behaviour.
How to encourage blackbirds in your garden
If you want to help support blackbird populations, make sure that you give them a plentiful supply of delicious high quality bird food.
Blackbirds have a very healthy appetite and will enjoy everything from mealworms and flaked maize to uncooked oats, fat balls and waxworms… but make sure that you scatter food on the ground because they’ve evolved to be ground feeders, so may struggle if you put everything up too high.
In terms of food to avoid, don’t put out stale or mouldy produce as this can lead to food poisoning and respiratory infections. If you’d like any further advice as to what to feed blackbirds, get in touch with the Johnston & Jeff team today.
