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September 20, 2019

Bird Population in U.S. & Canada Dropped by Nearly 3 Billion Since 1970
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A shocking new study has found the United States and Canada have lost
nearly 3 billion birds since 1970, a 29% population drop. Researchers
blamed numerous factors, including widespread habitat loss and the use
of agricultural chemicals. Peter Marra of Georgetown University
co-authored the report.

Peter Marra: "Birds are the quintessential ecosystem indicators. They
are the canaries in the coal mine. When something's going wrong with
birds, something's going wrong with the environment. It's just not
healthy. And so, in this study, because we've seen so many declines
across so many different types of birds, from warblers to thrushes to
even house sparrows - these non-native species in urban areas are
declining - that's not a good sign. That's an indication that something
is really wrong with the environment."



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