Bird Population Decline?

Are Our Bird Populations Declining?

Greater Yellowlegs, a Shorebird

I often get asked whether I think bird numbers are declining.  That is not an easy question to answer.  The short answer is YES.  The long answer is, Well, it depends.  You see, some families of birds are increasing, some are staying about the same and some are declining.  Some are severely declining!

Let's look at the overall picture.  This winter we are seeing fewer birds for a number of reasons.  There is a lot of natural food available this winter which has the effect of decreasing the number of visits to bird feeders and flocks moving around the area.  The fruit trees and shrubs are laden still with fruit; crabs, cherries, sumac, and berries of various varieties.  The cone crop is heavy providing a lot of food for seed eaters.  The weather has not been too severe this winter making it easier for birds to feed in the wild.

Other reasons related to fewer sightings this winter are related to bird flock movement.  In some winters many birds move from up north to our area.  That has not happened in any significant way this year so we are seeing far fewer birds like redpolls, pine grosbeaks, crossbills, siskins, Bohemian waxwings, etc.  We are seeing a few Pine Siskins and a few Red and White-winged Crossbills in some parts of the province but very few in the Fredericton area.  This might change as the winter advances but it would depend on continuing food supplies further north.

Tree Swallow, an Aerial Insectivore

Birds Canda publication, Birdwatch Canada, in a recent article, addresses the issue of bird population changes in the last 50 years.  In that article they are referring to an article by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, Canada (NABCI-Canada) entitled, State of Canada's Birds 2019.  The following information comes from that article.

In the 20th century many species of waterfowl and birds of prey had declined so badly some were nearly extinct.  The causes were the use of the pesticide DDT and habitat loss.  These were addressed and corrected with the result that waterfowl numbers are now up 150% and birds of prey are up 110%.  Here in New Brunswick we are all aware of the wonderful recovery of Bald Eagle numbers.

The studies showed little change in the populations of sea birds, wetland birds and forest birds.  The numbers are a bit misleading because they represent averages and so reflect numbers that are both somewhat increased or decreased.

Now we move to the populations showing severe declines.  Urgent conservation action is needed for the recovery of these species.  Shorebirds have declined by 40% in the last 50 years; Grassland birds (from prairie and other grassland habitats) are down 57%; aerial insectivores (birds that feed on insects on the wing) are down 59%.  The situation is so dire that in the last 10 years 80% of the bird populations that have been assessed as endangered or threatened are aerial insectivores or grassland birds.  Ten species of shorebirds are on the top of the list for new assessment.

This is a sad and urgent call to action.  What can we do to reverse this trend?  Here is what the NABCI-Canada is advocating.
1. Vote with your fork and waste less: reduce food waste, buy from local, sustainably run farms, choose bird-friendly products like coffee, range-fed beef, certified, sustainable seafood
2.  Protect and improve bird habitat:  protect and restore critical lands and waters, manage our work landscapes more sustainably
3.  Remove plastics and contaminants from nature:  seek innovative alternatives to pesticide use, ban single-use plastics
4.  Reduce carbon emissions:  Given that Canada's climate is warming at more than twice the global rate, demand action on the causes; change our industrial practices and our daily lives,
5.  Make windows safe for birds:  make windows on homes, businesses, skyscrapers more visible to birds
6.  Prevent cats from roaming free:  this would save tens of millions of birds each year
7.  Eliminate invasive species:  rats on island, other invasives that prey on seabirds and other ground-nesting birds

LeConte's Sparrow - a Grassland Bird

I would add one more thing you can do - get involved in citizen science.  66% of the bird population trends reported here came from data collected by skilled volunteer citizen scientists.  These thousands of people are the 'backbone of bird conservation'.

There are many such citizen scientists in New Brunswick and you can become one, too.  They do Christmas Bird Counts, Breeding Bird Surveys, Nocturnal Owl Surveys, Seawatch Counts, etc.  All groups are seeking new volunteers.  You would be assisted with training and your assistance would be welcomed.  Action is needed now to save our bird species!