I love this time of year, because that means lots of birds are migrating to their breeding grounds. I live along the Central Flyway migration corridor, so I get to see a lot of birds I usually don’t see during non-migration months. Last spring, I was lucky enough to spot a Painted Bunting, a Blackburnian Warbler, and an Orchard Oriole, just to name a few!
But in North America, we’ve seen a staggering loss of birds. A 2019 study led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology found that there are 3 billion fewer breeding birds than in 1970. To put that into context: we’ve lost roughly one in four birds over the course of my parents’ lifetime. More than 90% of these losses are of common birds, like sparrows, blackbirds and finches.
Birds can serve as indicator species, which are species that help us understand how healthy an ecosystem is. “If we’re seeing them decline, then we know something is wrong with our environment and that should concern us, because our health is tied up in the same shared environment,” says Miyoko Chu, the director of communications at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
The situation sounds pretty dire, but there’s plenty we can do to help birds survive – and thrive.
Help reduce habitat loss and degradation
Habitat loss and degradation are the biggest drivers of the decline in birds. With continuous human population growth and our increased demand on the environment, “It’s no surprise … that there [is] less quality habitat for birds, and [that] some habitats disappearing altogether,” Chu says.
There are easy steps you can take to do your part to reduce habitat loss for birds:
- Grow native plants. Growing native plants will help create habitat for birds. The Audubon Society has a tool where you can discover bird-friendly native plants for your area.
- Reduce your use of pesticides. Pesticides can hurt birds in a number of ways, from poisoning them, thinning their egg shells and more. Sara Hallager, who curates birds at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, got her husband to stop using grubacide in her backyard when she realized the robins were “eating all these poisoned grubs in the yard!”Try asking an expert at your local garden nursery or home improvement store for less toxic options for lawn maintenance and pest control.
- Purchase bird-friendly products. “You can look for bird friendly certified coffee and make a difference on the wintering grounds for birds,” says Chu. Hallager notes “they’re also working on bird friendly chocolate, bird friendly wine, and rice.”
- Advocate for bird-friendly environmental policies. Chu says another way you can help address habitat loss, with no cost to you, is by advocating for policies that provide funding for environmental protections. She also recommends electing people who prioritize environmental issues.
Reduce bird deaths through a few, simple, everyday actions
- Keep your cat indoors. “Aside from habitat loss, the next biggest cause of direct mortality for birds is outdoor cats,” says Chu. One study estimates free-ranging domestic cats kill somewhere between 1.3-4 billion birds annually. Chu says she’s seen people create enclosed patios, or “catios,” so their cats can get outside time without posing a risk to birds. If you want to take your cat out, you can also try using cat leashes and cat backpacks to keep them close.Chu also recommends putting on one of Cornell’s live bird cams to keep your feline engaged and entertained while they’re indoors.”We found that cats love them as much as people do, and they’ll sit and watch these live bird cams and they won’t do any harm to the birds they watch,” Chu says.
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