Decline of U.K. Sparrows Attributed to Drop in Insect Populations

House sparrow populations in Britain have fallen by 68 percent over the last 30 years because the loss of trees and gardens has killed off many of the insects on which chicks depend in the first days of life, according to a new study. The study, led by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, attributed the drop in insect populations to a loss of native trees and shrubs as urban and suburban homeowners converted front yards to parking spaces and constructed decks in back yards. Another factor, the study said, is the widespread planting of exotic shrubbery that harbors few insect populations. The study, published in the journal Animal Conservation, concluded that many chicks were dying of starvation soon after hatching because adults could not catch enough insects. Similar sparrow declines have occurred in other European cities.