Exploring Nature: Big Trouble for
Birds?
It appears many birds are in big trouble.
According to recent research findings, a whopping 75% of bird species in North America are in decline.
Hardest hit are grassland birds, shorebirds and birds of the arid zones. Global warming is a prime contributor, but so is loss of habitat. Lots of factors are having a most negative effect and some 112 birds are considered to be “Tipping Point” species, with more than half their population lost in the last few decades.
This all comes at a time when birds are at a high point of popularity. Latest figures from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services survey showed there are now around 100 million birdwatchers in the United States. That’s about a third of the adult population.
And they spend big bucks in support of birding, shelling out some 100 billion dollars each year on birdwatching gear, travel and bird food. That’s billion with a “b.” It is estimated the total annual economic value of birding-related activities is around 280 billion dollars.
Obviously, birds bring a lot of joy to lots of people.
And obviously, we need to do all we can to conserve habitats, protect endangered species and create more safe havens for birds all over the country.
If you enjoy birdwatching, do your part locally by providing food, water and shelter for birds in your own yard. If you don’t have a yard, hopefully you can still hang up a bird-seed feeder and perhaps a nectar feeder for hummingbirds at your apartment or penthouse balcony.
Every little bit helps.
