Bird species are endangered all over France. But not for the exact same reasons. Hugo Clement presents "On the Front: Where are our birds gone?" This Sunday, August 5th at 8:55 pm on France 5, will be broadcast.
Birds are often disturbed by traffic, modern buildings, and even buildings. Their numbers have been reduced by half in the last 20 years. Hugo Clement met Victor. Victor is a 17-year-old bird protection enthusiast. He took Victor to La Defense in Paris to show him how sparrows are killed.
Drone images can be used to quickly understand the danger. It is hard to see a path in the air without hitting a building. Even worse, you can see the interior gardens behind the windows. This makes birds want to land on the branches.
For the survival of species, noises from cities like traffic and jackhammers are also dangerous. The male sparrow sings to attract the female sparrow for reproduction. It is impossible for them to hear each other's song, so there is no chance of mating. The sparrows will leave certain areas.
It's not only glass skyscrapers, but all architecture that is destructive to sparrows. Sparrows will no longer be able to nest in old houses that have been renovated. They require small gaps to escape from a wall or roof tile. These little places of hiding are disappearing with the renovations.
Hugo Clement travelled to Perpignan for a workshop on the manufacture of nesting boxes. These wooden houses are a breeding ground for birds, as they were once suspended from the trees.
In the past 30 years, 40% of farmland birds have disappeared. The reason is that pesticides are making it harder for birds like the little bustard to eat. It is bad news for birds that the wheat fields are now as wide as the eyes can see and not as small as they were in the past. They no longer have a nesting spot.
Hugo Clement was one of the people who saved baby birds from a Moselle field. Here is where a Montagu's Harrier female has built her nest. The farmer will use his combine harvester to crush the tiny ones if nothing is done. The farmer can avoid this by putting a fence around the nest.
Birds can be killed by electric cables, which are often thrown at them during flight. The ski lifts are another danger in the mountains. We are taken to Les Menuires to see colored discs suspended from cables so that birds can see them.
"On the Front: Where have our birds gone?" Hugo Clement presented "On the front: Where have our birds gone?" on Sunday, June 5, at 8:55 pm France 5.
