Thousands of migratory birds are reportedly being gruesomely killed by padel courts, with scientists warning that unless one simple change is made these numbers could rise as the sport gets more popular
With the number of players doubling year on year, the racket sport padel is fast becoming one the UK and Europe’s most popular activities, boasting nearly a million players in Britain alone
Invented in Mexico during the 1960s, Padel’s popularity exploded in Spain over the next two decades, but in recent years, the sport has gone from a niche local one to popular worldwide. It is essentially a mix between tennis and squash, and is played on small courts surrounded by glass walls.
While courts are cheap to build and require less room than tennis or football pitches, experts are warning that they pose a unique problem to wildlife, especially local birds.
Because the courts are enclosed in transparent panels, not only can birds not see them properly, they have been recorded flying straight towards them at high speeds after seeing reflections of the sky or nearby trees.
According to a report published by EuroWeekly, a single court in Spain was found responsible for potentially 100 bird deaths in a single year, with the figure expected to be in the thousands across the continent.
While Spain has been singled out as having a particular problem due to its status as a vital migration hub for birds flying between Europe and Africa, British bird lovers will worry that the UK’s 600 bird species, 70 of which are currently classed as endangered or critically endangered, could be at risk too.
Court owners have experimented with stickers, however this has had little impact, but thankfully, Spanish scientists claim to have found a solution that does work.
Trials in Spain have experimented with placing a thin layer of netting over the glass in order to highlight its presence to low-flying birds.
According to the bird-loving boffins, the simple addition can dramatically reduce bird deaths, and doesn’t have any impact on the game.
What’s even better, is the netting only costs around £200 per court, meaning that it won’t set court owners or councils back too much to implement the change.
The Daily Star has approached the Lawn Tennis Association, who also oversee Padel in the UK, to see whether they are considering the change on their courts or if they back the implementation in general.
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