Falling Starling Numbers Concern For Brighton And Hove In Second Year Of Weedkiller

Starling numbers appear to have halved in Brighton and Hove since the council started using glyphosate weedkiller again although it is not possible to say whether the two changes are linked.

Save Our Starlings campaigner Steve Geliot believes that up 150,000 starlings could be seen in the area when he first moved here in 1981.

He started using bursts of high-definition photography and video to count the birds from 2022, with the numbers having dropped to just over 8,000.

The number went up to almost 19,000 last year, after a pause in glyphosate use. But this year the count dropped to just over 9,000, with a low of 4,419 birds on Tuesday 25 February.

In 2022, Mr Geliot organised a petition, with 110,000 signatures, calling for a ban on pesticides and artificial fertilisers on Brighton and Hove City Council’s downland estate.

The council had already stopped using glyphosate weedkiller on pavements, kerbs and gutters but critics accused the council of rewilding the streets, creating slip and trip hazards.

It has since started using the weedkiller again, trialling a “controlled droplet” technique to apply the herbicide to foliage.

Mr Geliot said that he was concerned that the council was planning another year of glyphosate use.

He said:

“We will never know how much harm this potent ‘controlled droplet’ formulation did to our starlings. It may be not much. It may be a lot.

“What I can say is that it was an unhelpful added pressure in the context of unfavourable weather during the breeding season. We didn’t need to do it to them. Why on earth are the council choosing to do it again?”

He is urging the council and people with gardens to encourage insects with wild flower meadows and wild verges, installing nest boxes and reducing light pollution.

And he said that another concern was the increasing number of artificial sports pitches, reducing the green space that provided food for insects and birds.

Mr Geliot added:

“Despite the reduced numbers, the murmuration has been truly inspirational these last weeks.

“And as the starlings shift into breeding mode, with their bright yellow beaks at this time of year, let’s wish them luck and see if we can help them recover over the next 12 months by being more neighbourly.”

Labour councillor Tim Rowkins, the council’s cabinet member for net zero and environmental services, said that the starling population was a source of pride for Brighton and Hove.

Councillor Rowkins said:

“As a council, we are committed to protecting local biodiversity and wildlife populations. Indeed, we were among one of the first councils in the UK to insist on bee-bricks and swift-boxes in new developments.

“We have firm expectations on conservation in our planning guidance and require developments to provide a net gain in terms of biodiversity.

“We are also engaged in landscape-scale nature recovery on our downland estate, which constitutes 44 per cent of the city’s footprint, as well as developing a local nature recovery strategy with colleagues from across East Sussex.

“In terms of glyphosate use, we are aware of people’s concerns over its impact on the environment and local wildlife which is why we use a targeted method of application that not only greatly reduces the amount needed but restricts it to troublesome weed growth only.

“We’ve also introduced an opt-out scheme for this summer and confirmed 72 additional roads where it will not be used and are committed to further reduction.

“Most councils across the country still use glyphosate and, while we recognise people’s concerns, we do have a responsibility to keep our pavements clear and accessible for all residents.”