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Hatching failure rates in birds are almost twice as high as experts previously estimated, according to the largest ever study of its kind. Photo Credit: Michaela Wenzler |
New study from the University of Sheffield, IoZ, and UCL found more than one in six bird eggs fail to hatch. Hatching failure increases as species decline, so the new research could be used to predict what species are most at risk of extinction.
The work provides evidence that conservation managers can use to support their decision making, creating the best possible outcomes for threatened bird species recovery.
The new report highlights how conservationists can best support the recovery of threatened bird species, as it outlines how different conservation practices may affect hatching rates.
Researchers from the University of Sheffield, Institute of Zoology, and University College London (UCL) looked at 241 bird species across 231 previous studies to examine hatching failure. They found that nearly 17 per cent of bird eggs fail to hatch - almost double the figure reported 40 years ago of just over nine per cent.