Most people don’t pay much attention to their surroundings while getting through the day-to-day. And even fewer people notice the California towhees, black phoebes, and bushtits, common mainstays in southern California, that are within arm’s reach–chipping, singing, and fluttering in the trees and shrubs, providing an under-appreciated soundtrack and animated presence to our busy lives. Birds have always been ‘everywhere’, but if you didn’t notice them before, you may start seeing even less of them now, as a recent 2019 study published in the journal Science has just reported that there are almost three billion fewer birds today than there were in 1970. That is a shocking 1-out-4 birds gone from our planet…from our day-to-day lives.
The research team responsible for presenting this dire news included the American Bird Conservancy, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and the Canadian Wildlife Service, among others. These institutions analyzed the breeding populations of 529 species by combining data from citizen science bird counts such as the North American Breeding Bird Survey and the Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count, as well as surveys conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies and organizations. In addition to bird surveys and counts, they analyzed weather radar technology, which is used to track large groups of migrating birds, to estimate the numbers of birds migrating to and from their breeding grounds.
Around 90% of the declining bird species come from 12 distinct bird families, which include warblers, sparrows, blackbirds, and finches. And these birds are declining in a variety of habitat types. There isn’t a single factor contributing to the total decline, but grasslands show the most devastating decline with more than 700 million breeding birds lost over 30 species – a more than 50% decline since 1970. Grasslands are at risk of habitat loss due to urban development and agriculture, as well as pesticide application to these areas. Other habitats are being threatened by clearing for oil and gas development and climate change (boreal forests, arctic tundra, and deserts), habitat fragmentation, logging, and wildfires (eastern and western forests), and human activity (coasts). While the study doesn’t specifically look at the causes, the results clearly indicate that humans have impacted bird populations negatively over the last 50 years.
It is not all bad news, though, as a hopeful discovery was made through this research–not all birds declined, and some species even increased over time. Wetland species, such as waterfowl, showed an increase of 34 million individuals since 1970. This is largely in part to increased conservation of wetlands throughout the years. Birds susceptible to DDT poisoning (hawks and eagles) have increased, since the ban of DDT in 1972. So, through proper and effective wildlife management, like habitat restoration and land management, and political action, like banning of harmful chemicals, bird species decline can potentially be reversed.
Knowledge is power, and the more we know, the more we can do something about bird species decline. If anything, this study serves as a wake-up call for mindful individuals to take action – after all, humans are capable of anything if we are deliberate in our approach to save the things that are important, not just to us personally, but on a global scale (remember the hole in the ozone layer?). You don’t have to be a research scientist or political lobbyist to take action against bird decline either – consider visiting the website 3BillionBirds.org, launched by Cornell University and its partners, to learn about simple bird-saving solutions that you can practice in your daily life. So, as you’re getting through the grind of your day, stop for a moment and listen – appreciate the chips, songs, and even that pesky mockingbird imitating a car alarm, for these are all reminders that we still have a chance to combat bird decline and live in a world without silence.
Brynne Mulrooney, Senior Biologist
Photo credit to Brennan Mulrooney