A young British ornithologist has raised alarm over a mosquito-borne disease that has sharply reduced blackbird populations, warning it signals broader environmental troubles ahead.
Mya-Rose Craig, 23, from Somerset’s Chew Valley — known online as BirdGirlUK — says the spread of the Usutu virus across southern England highlights how British wildlife is suffering in ways many people don’t realize.
Recent data shows blackbird numbers in Greater London have dropped by as much as 40% over the past five years. Scientists warn that as the climate warms, mosquito ranges will expand, increasing the spread of diseases like Usutu.
“I’m really concerned because blackbirds are one of the UK’s most common birds — when you hear birdsong, it’s often them,” Craig told BBC Breakfast. “It’s upsetting to think of their decline.”
Craig, who founded the Black2Nature initiative to engage minority youth in conservation, has long campaigned for environmental causes. She stresses that climate change, with its warmer weather and heavier flooding, is worsening the spread of diseases affecting birds.
Beyond blackbirds, Craig notes that other familiar species like starlings have also suffered, with populations dropping by 80% since the 1960s.
She emphasizes the mental health benefits of nature and birdsong, adding, “Imagine a city without birdsong — it would have a terrible knock-on effect on people too.”
