Gorse bushes are the key to survival for the Dartford warbler, a heathland
species that is almost extinct in Britain.
In a study for the World Wide Fund for Nature, Clive Catchpole of Royal
Holloway and Bedford New College, shows that the amount of gorse in a bird鈥檚
territory dictates the bird鈥檚 success. The insects which the warblers eat
proliferate on gorse rather thanthe heather.
But because gorse grows more profusely near roads, the slow-flying warblers
are often hit by passing cars, explains Joanna Hindley, the WWF鈥檚 species
conservation officer.
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Conservationists could manage the heathlands to suit the birds by planting
more gorsewell away from the roads, says the WWF.
