Birds in Peril

Joe Meche is president of the North Cascades Audubon Society and also serves the chapter as newsletter editor and birding programs coordinator. He has been watching birds for over 50 years and  photographing birds and landscapes for more than 30 years.

The advancement of Homo sapiens has seen the species evolve from simple hunter-gatherers to become the single most dominant force on the planet. In the process, human populations have soared to increasingly ominous numbers, with no end in sight; these numbers are putting an incredible amount of stress on a rapidly dwindling supply of natural resources.

Many other species are falling victim to the seeming inability of humans to find that delicate balance between preservation and the apparent need to overwhelm the environment.

Past columns on conservation, habitat restoration and a variety of related topics have focused on the need to consider birds as environmental barometers — a measure of how we are caring for the planet, if you will. If recent reports of declines in bird populations are any indication, we’re not doing a very good job.

Two separate articles in the local paper this summer, just days apart, illustrated both the good and the bad. Given the overwhelming adversity that birds face every day, perhaps the ugly is not too far behind.

One of the articles heralded the removal of our national symbol — the bald eagle — from the federal endangered species list. Many factors came into play to see bald eagle populations rebound to healthy numbers, including the protections provided by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Numerous species of animals have been listed since the Endangered Species Act was enacted, and it has been one of the most important tools for the protection of all animals.

“The rescue of the bald eagle from the brink of extinction ranks among the greatest victories of American conservation,” said John Flicker, president of the National Audubon Society. “Like no other species, the bald eagle showed us all that environmental stewardship has priceless rewards,” he added. We work so hard, it seems, to pull out all stops to protect an endangered species. Why then, when a species rebounds, do we feel the need to remove it from the list?

An article that preceded this good news, however, pointed out dramatic population declines in a number of common species. These declines have been noted for a number of years, primarily in the data collected by the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count — the world’s longest-running, uninterrupted bird census. The data from the Christmas Bird Count was combined with data from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Breeding Bird Survey to determine how bird populations have fared over the past 40 years.

Bald eagles are large birds and because of their size and the size of their nests, they are quite visible to all. But most of the birds whose numbers are in serious decline are smaller than and not as noticeable as the bald eagle. During the same time period that eagle numbers rebounded, many common species — those species with more than 500,000 individuals — have seen their numbers decline considerably.

Since 1967, average populations of common birds have fallen by 70 percent. When do we consider protecting the birds that aren’t as glamorous or symbolically significant as the bald eagle?

Of primary concern is the range of species that are being affected. Noticeable declines have been recorded in the numbers of northern bobwhite and common terns, as well as some waterfowl species such as the northern pintail and the greater scaup. Two notable passerine species — evening grosbeaks and eastern meadowlarks — are also seeing their numbers dwindle and showing declines of 78 and 72 percent respectively.

Overall, bird populations are in danger for a number of reasons and, even though many species are protected by laws such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, declines continue. Birds have always faced a variety of natural challenges including severe weather, lack of food and predation. For millennia, they have fared well enough to maintain healthy populations. Nothing they faced before, however, could compare with the changes to their world wrought by man.

Humans have so altered the natural landscape worldwide that all but the most resilient species are beginning to show the dramatic effects of poor management. Most notable among the causes for the declines is the destruction of habitat in both the wintering and breeding grounds of migratory birds. Man-made obstacles such as buildings and wind farms along with development, disease and domestic pets are responsible for the loss of countless millions of birds every year.

Of the National Audubon Society’s Top Ten Common Birds in Decline, local interest is focused on the striking evening grosbeak and the exquisite northern pintail. These two species alone have seen their numbers decline by almost 80 percent. As environmental barometers, these species are obviously trying to alert us to the errors of our ways.

Evening grosbeaks breed primarily in coniferous forests. After the breeding season, they feed on seeds and buds and over time have become favorites at sunflower seed feeders in many backyards. They are understandably at risk to changes in their traditional habitats, and logging, mining, acid rain and development have taken a toll. They are also susceptible to diseases that spread rapidly among other feeder birds. Humans can lend a hand here by maintaining clean feeders throughout the year.

The male northern pintail is one of the most striking of all waterfowl. Their breeding grounds encompass an expanse of open fields, shallow ponds and wetlands. The conversion of much of their nesting area to large-scale and intensive agricultural pursuits has taken a toll on this species. Once again, humans are driven to overwhelm the environment at the expense of other members of the kingdom.

These two species merely provide a thumbnail sketch of the dwindling numbers of birds and other animals around the planet. Again, birds as barometers tell us that something is askew in our approach to our own future.

In “Silent Spring,” Rachel Carson spoke eloquently about the “reckless and irresponsible poisoning of the world that man shares with all other creatures.” She dedicated her landmark work to Albert Schweitzer who said, “Man has lost the capacity to foresee and forestall. He will end by destroying the earth.”

The noted essayist, E. B. White, also commented on this central theme. White said, “I am pessimistic about the human race because it is too ingenious for its own good. Our approach to nature is to beat it into submission. We would stand a better chance of survival if we accommodated ourselves to this planet and viewed it appreciatively instead of skeptically and dictatorially.”

For the past six and one-half years in this country, we have endured the closest thing to a dictatorship that we’ve seen in our history. Among the myriad misadventures of this administration has been a variety of assaults on the environment. We all need to be watchful and contact our elected representatives for action on this front. Perhaps we might even consider a fresh slate of lawmakers who understand the importance of a healthy planet.

Numerous organizations like the National Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy, and even Ducks Unlimited are putting forth heroic efforts to educate the public to the need for habitat conservation and restoration. Paramount is the need to focus on the actions we need to take, individually and collectively, to ensure that future generations will have something left to enjoy. Is there a silent spring in our future? §

The more clearly we can focus our attention on
the wonders and realities of the universe around us,
the less taste we shall have for destruction.