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Once-Common Birds In Dramatic Decline
The National Audubon Society reports that populations of many of America's most familiar and beloved birds are in dangerous decline. Some have fallen more than 80 percent in the past 40 years—a direct result of the loss of habitat, including grasslands, healthy forests, and wetlands, from multiple environmental threats such as sprawl, energy development, and the spread of industrialized agriculture. The threats are now compounded and amplified by the escalating effects of global warming—as detailed in MoJo's current cover story.
"These are not rare or exotic birds we're talking about—these are the birds that visit our feeders and congregate at nearby lakes and seashores and yet they are disappearing day by day," said Audubon chair and former EPA administrator Carol Browner. "Their decline tells us we have serious work to do, from protecting local habitats to addressing the huge threats from global warming."
Audubon's assessment comes from 40 years of its citizen-led Christmas Bird Count's data and the Breeding Bird Survey. The following once-common species are among those hardest hit: Northern Bobwhites down 82 percent; Evening Grosbeaks down 78 percent; Northern Pintails down 78 percent; Greater Scaups down 75 percent; Eastern Meadowlarks down 71 percent; Common Terns down 70 percent; Snow Buntings down 64 percent; Rufous Hummingbirds down 58 percent; Whip-poor-wills down 57 percent; Little Blue Herons down 54 percent in the U.S.
Check out Audubon's suggestions on what individuals can do to help. --JULIA WHITTY
This, while somewhat expected by anyone paying attention to human devastation, is still really horrific. Though I knew things were already bad, I was not aware of this magnitude with respect to birds.
Up here in NW Washington, we are overwhelmed with Canada geese, who no longer seem to want to migrate north. Could it be that these geese, who seem to be eating all the time (and then excreting), are eating the foods that these other birds need to survive and thrive?
The problem is too many people and too few trees.
I don't know. Maybe its the type of trees. Everywhere you look its leyland pines, at least here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Robins are prolific here. Maybe the birds are just moving around. How is this count done?
Here in East San Diego we notice many fewer bugs as we weed. We don't use any pesticides so what's going on? Also, the crow population is growing much larger. We hear them to the exclusion of the song birds. Are they pushing out the song birds?
Part of the problem may be that we have fewer good nesting trees in our neighborhood because when the trees get to be 30 - 40 years old in our development we have to remove them as they are too big for our lots.
Hi All,
It's like Audubon says...a direct result of the loss of habitat, including grasslands, healthy forests, and wetlands, from multiple environmental threats such as sprawl, energy development, and the spread of industrialized agriculture. The threats are now compounded and amplified by the escalating effects of global warming.
Humans are not nature friendly..whatever we do for the most part we hurt nature in a grand or small fashon.
It often makes me wonder how it is that this has come about...we are a mutation on this planet body and are killing it as we live on it. Hmm...sound familiar...
If you graph the population of birds with the inverse of human population over time, you'll get a pretty good match. Coincidence? I think not.
So, why are there more robins, geese and black birds? How IS the count done?
Marie,
Some birds do well in disturbed environments. Canada geese have become as numerous as they are today precisely because they like lawns.
Robins are pretty adaptable and will probably deal with almost anything we throw their way, likewise for herring gulls.
Which black birds do you mean? European Starlings? If so, they are an introduced species who, along with house sparrows and rock pigeons are making life difficult for the locals. Actually, I may be wrong on the pigeons. They could just be taking the place of the once incredibly numerous passenger pigeons that are now extinct.