Many bird populations are in trouble, with Hawaiian birds among the most threatened, according to a new report. Some species are on the brink of extinction, including many ocean birds. The “State of the Birds” report noted that among 800 species of birds in the United States, 67 are in decline or threatened and another 184 are “species of conservation concern” because they have small distribution.
From CNN:
Hawaiian birds, particularly, are in crisis, the report said. More than one-third of all U.S. bird species are in Hawaii. However, 71 species have gone extinct since the islands were colonized about 300 A.D., and 10 more species have not been seen in the past 40 years, contributing to fears they, too, have died out.
Grassland and arid-land birds are showing the most rapid declines over the last four decades, while forest birds are also declining, the report said.
“Just as they were when Rachel Carson published ‘Silent Spring’ nearly 50 years ago, birds today are a bellwether of the health of land, water and ecosystems,” Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Thursday in a statement on the report.
“From shorebirds in New England to warblers in Michigan to songbirds in Hawaii, we are seeing disturbing downward population trends that should set off environmental alarm bells. We must work together now to ensure we never hear the deafening silence in our forests, fields and backyards that Rachel Carson warned us about.”
The most frequent causes for the decline in bird populations cited in the report were agriculture, climate change, development and energy and invasive species. Sprawling urban development in cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix and intensified agricultural practices in grasslands have also had a significant negative impact on bird populations.
Some of the measures called for in the report to turn the problem around include increased monitoring of bird populations, stricter protection laws, sustainable fishing practices and increased education.
Large quantities of birds disappearing would spell very bad news for many species of animals and, eventually, us. Birds play such an important role in their respective ecosystems – if they die out, we risk exploding insect populations and other problems. We can’t afford to let this go on any longer.
Link [CNN]
Photo credit: Animal Pictures Archive
