Usutu virus, a mosquito-borne virus which can be fatal to blackbirds, was first detected in the UK in 2020 and has been linked to a decline in the number of blackbirds in the UK
If you're spotting fewer blackbirds in your garden this winter, it's time to start doling out some bird treats and reporting any concerns, thanks to a menacing new virus putting our feathered friends at risk. With an estimated six million breeding pairs, blackbirds are one of the UK's most plentiful feathered residents and a regular feature in gardens countrywide.
The British Trust for Ornithology has raised alarm bells over the dwindling blackbird numbers, attributing the dip partly to Usutu virus an unwelcome newcomer to the UK spread by mosquitoes that can prove deadly to blackbirds, reports the Express. "This recent decline has been linked to the appearance of Usutu virus, a new mosquito-borne virus in the UK which is often fatal to blackbirds."
According to the Trust, the blackbird population is currently stable, but it has seen periods of decline in the past. One of the biggest threats to the population is lack of food availability, particularly during dry weather.
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