The State of the Birds report is complete and available for download at www.stateofthebirds.org. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar released the first-ever comprehensive report on bird populations in the United States, showing that nearly a third of the nation's 800 bird species are endangered, threatened or in significant decline due to habitat loss, invasive species and other threats. At the same time, the report highlights examples, including many species of waterfowl, where habitat restoration and conservation have reversed previous declines, offering hope that it is not too late to take action to save declining populations. The report synthesizes data from three long-running bird censuses conducted by thousands of citizen scientists and professional biologists including those from state wildlife agencies. In particular, it calls attention to the crisis in Hawaii, where more birds are in danger of extinction than anywhere else in the nation. In addition, the report indicates a 40% decline in grassland birds over the past 40 years, a 30% decline in birds of arid-lands and high concern for many coastal shorebirds. Furthermore, 39% of species dependent on U.S. oceans have declined.

 

 

 

 

Chart is courtesy of www.stateofthebirds.org

Agriculture Grassland birds have declined because of the intensification of agriculture, including larger fields with fewer grassy edges, native weeds, and insects, as well as the spread of row crops into drier regions. Pastures cannot support many birds if overgrazed, burned too frequently, or burned at the beginning

of the nesting season or the end of the grass-growing season.

 

Grasslands in public lands and parks are often mowed too frequently and kept too short to provide bird habitat. Open areas are frequently allowed to revert to forest instead of being managed as grassland.

Energy and Climate Change

 

High commodity prieces and demand for biofuels contribute to reduced acreage for farm conservation programs, which may reverse the recent improvement in grassland bird populations.

Wind turbines, if improperly sited, can fragment grasslands and disrupt nesting activity of game birds such as Lesser Prairie-Chickens.

Global warming is expected to increase drought conditions in grassland regions, leading to lower productivity and reduced food supply for birds.

 

Solutions

   • Farm conservation programs remain our best tool for restoring and maintaining grasslands for birds, especially in areas of row-crop agriculture and across the short-grass prairie.

   • Haying, grazing, mowing, and burning can be conducted in ways that are compatible with birds, usually at very small cost to the producer. These costs can be compensated by conservation programs that provide other benefits as well, such as erosion control.

   • Wetland conservation programs should continue to include adjacent grasslands because such areas are valuable for both grassland and wetland birds.

   • Many national, state, and local parks could be managed to benefit grassland birds, and new acquisitions from willing landowners should be explored. Management should include a balance of disturbance to eliminate woody vegetation while allowing a healthy tall grassland.

 

This excerpt and report were printed with permission from www.stateofthebirds.org and the Cibolo Nature Center, courtesy of Jan Wrede, Director of Education & Citizen Science.