1/3 Of North American Bird Species In "Statistically Significant Decline"

[hatrack]

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"In a striking trend that spans North America's key ecosystem regions - grassland, shrubland, forest, wetland, and urban - almost a third of 654 bird species native to North America are in "statistically significant decline," according to a first-ever "State of the Birds" report unveiled last month by the Audubon Society. "We've painted a picture people didn't know before - that there's a big fraction of our bird populations that are facing serious problems," says Greg Butcher, a wildlife biologist and author of the report, which draws on decades' worth of data from major bird population surveys.

Grassland species are in the most trouble, with 19 of 27 species analyzed - 70 percent - in significant decline since 1966. But what's affecting the prairie chicken and other grassland species is not a single cause - such as too much hunting - but instead a "perfect storm" of habitat loss, predators, and changing farming and ranching practices, researchers say. Ironically, the resurgence of some predator birds, such as hawks, have made it harder for prairie chickens to find a peaceful home on the range. More intense cattle grazing, proliferating power lines, roads, fencing, housing, and shopping malls - even huge new electrical wind generators - have added to the pressure.

The lesser prairie chicken, in rapid decline like the greater prairie chicken, instinctively resists nesting anywhere near trees or man-made structures - especially tall towers or buildings, where birds of prey can perch and spot them below, according to recent studies by Kansas State University biologists. "One of the biggest threats on the horizon is wind farms," says Steve Sherrod, executive director of the George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center in Bartlesville, Okla. "These wind farms are billed as green, but they're a huge threat to the prairie nesting species." Other grassland birds are similarly affected. The bobolink, for instance, nests in hayfields and northern grasslands of the United States. But more frequent haying, overgrazing, and other man-made changes have combined to cut its population in half to about 11 million, the report says.

Similar declines show up in other ecosystems. The northern bobwhite, a common bird with a call familiar to millions, prefers shrublands - sagebrush and chaparral - which span 20 percent of the Lower 48 states. Yet conversion of shrublands to grazing and ill-timed burning of farm fields have cut its numbers by more than two-thirds to 9 million. Woodland species are struggling, too. In the Appalachian forests, the cerulean warbler is threatened by mountaintop mining, its population falling nearly 80 percent since 1966 to about 560,000 birds today. Meanwhile, the pine siskin, a woodland finch common at backyard bird feeders, fell by more than half to about 22 million birds, the report says."

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http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1202/p13s01-sten.html

[phantom power]

1. In other words, we might summarize it all as...

too damned many people, taking up all the land and resources.

[phantom power]

2. And another thing.

I'm starting to wonder if anybody even cares if these birds go extinct. I've met people who came right out and said they wouldn't shed a tear if the spotted owl disappeared. Hey, it's just some obscure bird in a northeastern forest. Most people wouldn't even know it ever existed if it wasn't mentioned in the news.

Likewise, most of these other endangered species. I'm getting the vibe that too few people care. Especially, if it gets in the way of resources, or "growth".

[phantom power]

3. And a third thing.

I'd like to start rounding up every sanctimonious mo-fo who solemnly warns us about the environmental "dangers" of wind-turbines, and force them all to live about a mile down-wind of their nearest fossil-fueled power plant. Or, better yet, force them to live next door to a coal strip-mine.

And maybe forcibly inject them all with mercury collected from coal emissions. Not because that would be fair, but because I've had one too many cups of coffee, and I'm on the edge...

[blindpig]

4. as a long time birdwatcher

this is not real news. There's still plenty of birds to see but the species count is down. Southern kestrals, forget them. We get some of the nothern subspecies in winter but I haven't seen a breeding bird in at least 10 years. Funny, the Cuban form is thriving, no doubt the fact that Cuban agriculture uses zip petrochemical insecticide has something to do with that! There's some winter sparrows that breed in the far north that I haven't seen for decades.Too many others to enumerate. Anyone who thinks that this is no big deal is a waste of good air, IMHO. We are doomed.

[hatrack]

5. We used to get masses of purple finches and juncos during winter

I mean, like 50 or 60 at a time. Now it's an event if you see two or three, even on the coldest days. Goldfinches are thriving, and the woodpeckers are hanging on, though red-bellies seem to have replaced red-headeds, which you hardly see any more.

[blindpig]

6. finches & juncos

Got a lot of purple finches last year including one partial albino! They seem to replace the house finches at my feeders in winter. We still get a good few juncos, started seeing them about 3 weeks ago. I just don't see red-heads but red-bellies rule around my place, which is in mixed forest with pines dying out. Red-heads are common in the Low Country where pines predominate. I still do get some pine oriented birds like pine warbler and brown-headed nuthatch.

I've gone wild on feeders this year, will have 60lb capacity deployed soon! When we get our one snow of the year it's going to be wild.

Where are ya? Let's go birding.

[hatrack]

7. W-Central Missouri

My parents have a couple of acres of woods, and it's a treat to go down there in the winter and just watch the bird herd.

[blindpig]

9. nice

prairie & Ozarks nearby. Never done prairie and thats been nagging me lately. As you noted a lot of grassland species are really taking it on the chin, partly due to changing agricultural practices. If you get a chance read Prairy Erth by William Least Heat Moon, a fine compendium.

[pmbryant]

8. A couple years ago we got tons of juncos all of a sudden

I've been in my current house in south Texas for 4 previous winters. In one, we had tons of dark-eyed juncos, the rest--nothing. No clear trend, obviously. But perhaps the huge variations in numbers we each see is due more to their migration/dispersal patterns than to a long-term population trend.

Now I'm curious to lookup the Backyard Bird Count data to see if this might be true.

--Peter

[amazona]

10. winter irruptions

Juncos and Purple Finches are not threatened to my knowledge. They just don't come as far south in most years, as they do in irruption years. I have Juncos on my yard list from one winter. Juncos and Purple Finches have already been seen this year in southeast Louisiana, but not in my yard.

A little birdy told me it will be a good year for winter birds. Already hearing rumors of Red Crossbills from Oklahoma to Northern Mississippi. So keep an eye out.

The birds they're worried about, the grassland birds, I have little hope for. If you remember the Bobwhite, it was once a very common bird that was even hunted. Now it is all but extinct in my parish. You can't have 3 percent decline in a population year after year after year indefinitely.

[XemaSab]

11. Prairie restoration

Restoration of large areas of prairie habitat would be the best way to bring back the birds (and plants, and other animals).

Not politically feasable now, but maybe in a few years.

They're making some noise here in California about putting portions of the Central Valley under conservation easement because the water's running out.

My buddy the prairie chicken researcher says fences are a huge problem. A big part of the problem with the grouse is power towers crossing the desert, which ravens and raptors use for foraging.