North American birds face crisis, Audubon warns

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North American birds face crisis, Audubon warns

 

USA: October 24, 2002

 

 

NEW YORK - Urban expansion and loss of open space have put some 25 percent of

North America's bird species in trouble or decline, more than double the number

of species at risk five years ago, a study said.

 

 

The National Audubon Society, the wildlife conservation organization, released

for the first time in five years its watch list of birds that are declining in

population or are endangered or threatened.

About 201 birds are on the watch list and 21 of them are in the endangered

category, said Audubon spokesman John Bianchi.

 

Bianchi said habitat was being destroyed " due to increasing conversion of

farmland to urban areas, and from grasslands to farmlands. "

 

The Audubon list aims to draw attention to the decline and rally support to

rebuild bird populations, said Frank Gill, Audubon chief ornithologist and vice

president of science.

 

" We almost lost our national bird, the bald eagle, because we were taking things

for granted, " Gill told reporters at Audubon's headquarters during the 2002

Watchlist release.

 

" The bald eagle was a warning about pesticides. DDT was around (in the

environment) and we got it off the market, " Gill said. " We saved the eagles, and

they have now moved from a precarious state 25 years ago to almost 'in

abundance.' "

 

Birds are the primary indicators of environmental health, and what hurts birds

also hurts the people who share the same space, Gill said.

 

" We should listen to what their declines are telling us about the ecosystems we

both inhabit, " he said.

 

Since 1970, the California Thrasher and the Southeast's Painted Bunting have

shown declines in excess of 50 percent, while the Cerulean Warbler of the

eastern United States has declined by more than 70 percent.

 

The Henslow's Sparrow from the Midwest has dropped by 80 percent, while the

Hawaiian 'Akikiki from Kauai has dropped from about 6,800 birds in the early

1970s to 1,000 birds today.

 

The 2002 watch list includes birds of Hawaii and Puerto Rico in addition to

birds of mainland North America.

 

 

 

Story by Manuela Badawy

 

 

REUTERS NEWS SERVICE