Gardeners in france told to stop cutting hedges in bird nesting season

BIRD EXPERTS SHARE THE BEST TIME TO TRIM HEDGING IN THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF FRANCE Gardeners have been advised to wait a few months before trimming their hedges as birds’ nesting season gets

under way. Avoid trimming hedges or cutting trees between mid-March and mid-August as this is when birds build nests, lay eggs and bring up young, the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB)

recommends. A THIRD OF NESTING BIRDS UNDER THREAT “Hedges are the champions of biodiversity in farming areas,” the OFB said in a statement. “When they are well managed, they can be home to

up to 35 species of mammal, 80 bird species, eight species of bat, 15 reptiles and amphibians, or 100 species of insect.” Almost a third (32%) of birds nesting in Metropolitan France are

threatened with extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. READ MORE: PLEA FOR FRENCH RESIDENTS NOT TO CUT HEDGES IN SPRING TO HELP WILDLIFE BEST TIMES TO

PRUNE HEDGES The ideal time to make any changes to hedgerows is September-October in the north of France, or November-December in the south. However, it is not necessary to cut or prune a

hedge every year, the OFB insists. While there are no laws preventing most people doing so, the Common Agricultural Policy does ban farmers from trimming their hedges during this period.

This does not mean there is never any punishment for ignoring advice, as the hedge or tree in question may be housing a protected species. READ MORE: DO WE NEED PERMISSION TO CUT DOWN A TREE

IN OUR FRENCH GARDEN? “As well as birds, old trees can, for example, house bats or protected insects (great capricorn beetle, Alpine longhorn beetle, hermit beetle). “Destroying, altering

or damaging the habitats of protected species is an offence, and can entail strict punishments.” The Ligue pour la protection des oiseaux recommends letting vegetation develop naturally and

keeping dead wood on the ground. RELATED ARTICLES JOIN A BIRD PROTECTION GROUP IN FRANCE AND CONTINUE HISTORIC TRADITION OISEAUX DE FRANCE GOES DIGITAL TO KEEP TABS ON DECLINING SPECIES DO

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