Garden birds need a hedge against decline | Letters

Geoff Bunce thinks replacing garden fences with hedges could help revive dwindling bird populations. Plus a letter from Lesley Barnes

Re the declining numbers of birds that we are seeing (or not seeing) in our gardens, I believe that a significant contributing factor is the lack of garden hedges (Starlings fall to record low in UK’s 2025 Big Garden Birdwatch, 11 April). Your report states that starlings like short grass so that they can watch out for predators, but smaller birds need hedging to retreat to for eating the food that they find in lawns and bird feeders.

Unfortunately, most new housing seems to be built without hedging and, certainly where I live, many people have grubbed out their hedges and replaced them with timber fencing – OK for perching on, but not for providing protection.
Geoff Bunce
Harpenden, Hertfordshire

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