2007 - 2021 Study: 3/4 Of North America's Bird Species Are In Decline, Even In Remote "Stronghold" Areas
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Across North America, three-fourths of bird species are in decline, according to a sweeping study of avian populations published Thursday, the latest sign of a slow-moving extinction crisis that threatens entire ecosystems. The population losses among the continent’s birds — red-winged blackbirds belting conk-la-ree! in marshlands, chickadees gathering around suburban bird feeders, peregrine falcons swooping between skyscrapers — should serve as a canary in the coal mine for people who live alongside birds, scientists say. For a majority of bird species, the decrease observed between 2007 and 2021 was greatest in the places where they are most abundant, suggesting birds are struggling even in their strongholds.
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There is no one single reason for this new silent spring. For many grassland species, farms are engulfing habitats and showering pesticides on insects that many birds eat. Along coastlines, construction and other activity are eating into beaches and wetlands where birds feed and nest. In the Arctic, rising temperatures are morphing critical breeding habitats.
There are still reasons for hope in the findings. For the vast majority of bird species in the study, there are pockets where subpopulations were stable or even growing. That granular analysis could help scientists and government officials better understand the factors allowing particular birds to thrive, which could inform how to protect whole species.
But the federal government under President Donald Trump is pushing forward with regulatory changes that weaken a century-old law protecting migratory birds and permit more mining, construction and other activities even if they destroys the habitats of endangered birds and other species.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/05/01/bird-loss-population-decline/