Springwatch host Kate Humble says we all need to get out and hear the birds sing

Springwatch host Kate Humble is on a mission to help save the British songbird, as their numbers are in serious decline.

She is encouraging people to take off their headphones and listen to the dawn chorus, which lasts until July.

Research by the RSPB shows there has been a serious decline in the number of many species, mostly down to changes in agricultural practices, which have had a devastating effect on farmland.

TV presenter and naturalist Kate, 50, says: “We are losing our songbirds at an alarming rate, so we really do need to raise awareness around the issue.

“We have a huge number of green spaces around the country and we need people to get out and use them more or we’ll lose them.

The thrush is a popular garden songbird whose numbers are declining dramatically making it a Red List species (Getty)

Springwatch's Kate Humble says we need to act now (Getty)

“Scientific studies undertaken last year demonstrated that contact with nature – trees, seeing the sky, listening to birds singing – has a hugely beneficial impact on our mental wellbeing.

“So many people shut out the natural sounds around them by wearing headphones, but they are denying themselves the wonderful effects nature can have on our mental health.”

Last month, the RSPB’s track, Let Nature Sing, topped the iTunes singles chart – proving we do enjoy the sound of birdsong when we hear it.

The track features birdsong from 22 species, including the common cuckoo, common nightingale, Eurasian bittern and northern lapwing.

Great tits are green and yellow with striking glossy black heads and have a distinctive song (Getty)

It was released by the RSPB to raise awareness that the UK’s birds, many of which are red-listed, are in a perilous position.

RSPB director of conservation Martin Harper says: “The response to Let Nature Sing sends a powerful message that yes, nature is amazing, but it is also in trouble.

“The signs are all around us that something is not right – you only need to stop and listen to find that the beautiful birdsong that should be the background music to our life is absent.

“But no one is talking about the crisis facing wildlife and nature in the UK. We all need to start talking about this.”

Kate, who is supporting the RSPB’s Sounds of Spring campaign, adds: “We really do need a lot more joined-up thinking right across the board – hopefully the Sounds Of Spring campaign will get the information out there.”

• For more information and to take part in activities supporting birds, visit rspb.org.uk.