Populations declining throughout North America, says report 

Nearly 30 percent of all North American bird species -- and 70 percent of grassland birds -- are declining in population, according to a National Audubon Society report released yesterday. 

The loss of habitat in grasslands, forests and wetlands is primarily to blame for the decline, said the report, which calls the losses abnormal and an indication of problems humans may face in the future. "Like the canary in the coal mine warning the miner of danger ahead, birds are an indicator of environmental and human health," said John Flicker, president of the Audubon Society. 

In North America's grasslands, the population levels of the eastern meadowlark, bobolink, short-eared owl and greater prairie-chicken are all labeled as poor. In shrub lands, 36 percent of birds are not doing well, including the northern bobwhite and Florida scrub-jay (John Heilprin, AP/Detroit Free Press, Oct. 20) 

The study of 700 species of birds between 1966 and 2003 also shows a 25 percent decline in forest bird species and a 23 percent decline among birds living in urban areas (Ron Seely, Wisconsin State Journal, Oct. 20) 

http://www.audubon.org/bird/stateofthebirds/


Denise "Taking birding to the Ballot Box" Ryan
Washington, DC
denise_ryan at lcv.org