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It's a Bird's World: Toxic substances

The CompassIt’s a Bird’s World

How the deaths of vultures and sparrowhawks have alerted the world to serious environmental problems.

How the deaths of vultures and sparrowhawks have alerted the world to serious environmental problems. Like the canaries which were used to detect toxic gases in coal mines, birds play a vital role in alerting us to substances which can damage a healthy environment. The price they pay to alert us can be losing their lives.

Presenter: Mya-Rose Craig
Producer: Sarah Blunt

(Photo: White-rumped vultures, slender-billed vultures and Himalayan griffons feed on a dead cattle. Credit IUCN/Sarowar Alam)

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27 minutes

Last on

Sun 20 Feb 202211:32GMT
BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa

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  • Wed 16 Feb 202202:32GMT
    BBC World Service
  • Wed 16 Feb 202209:06GMT
    BBC World Service
  • Wed 16 Feb 202213:32GMT
    BBC World Service East and Southern Africa, South Asia, West and Central Africa & East Asia only
  • Wed 16 Feb 202220:06GMT
    BBC World Service Online, Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview & Europe and the Middle East only
  • Wed 16 Feb 202221:06GMT
    BBC World Service except Online, Americas and the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East & UK DAB/Freeview
  • Sun 20 Feb 202211:32GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa

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