Warning issued to anyone who sees blackbirds in their garden

The bird's population is said to be falling due to a virus.

Homeowners are being urged to make a change in order to save the species, whose population experts say is 'dwindling'.

This is due to the Usutu virus, which was first identified at the river in South Africa.

Since it was first detected five years ago, it has been decimating blackbirds, with the number of the species having plummeted 40% since then.

Wildlife expert Hugh Hanmer has reiterated of identifying potential mosquito breeding grounds.

“We’re interested in whether water butts are a potential source of mosquito breeding.

"So we may encourage people to cover their water butt to stop them getting in, as that’s a standard approach in countries where mosquito-borne disease is a serious problem.

"Wildlife-friendly gardening will help, such as ponds, native bushes and trees, not paving everything,” Hanmer commented.

Additionally, the issue of climate change only exacerbates the situation, as it fosters conditions favourable to the viruses’ multiplication.

“We’re not going to lose blackbirds, but we could have a lot fewer of them,” warned Hanmer.

He continued: "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.

"It was first detected in the UK in London in the summer of 2020, and appears to have since started to spread further in southern Britain.

"It is prevalent on the near-Continent and its spread has been linked to climate change, which has benefited the mosquitoes which spread the virus.”

Unfortunately, other than being vigilant, Hamner has said there is no real 'cure' to the issue.

“There’s no real cure, we can’t go out and catch blackbirds and vaccinate them, that’s a huge cost. Realistically, a lot of this is down to reporting diseased blackbirds in your garden,” explained Hamner.