North America has a bird problem—not too many, but perhaps too few in the not-so-distant future. New research published Thursday in the journal Science reveals that 75% of the continent's bird species are on a downward spiral, seeing their populations decline between 2007 and 2021. The Washington Post calls the phenomenon "the latest sign of a slow-moving extinction crisis that threatens entire ecosystems," and one that "should serve as a canary in the coal mine for people who live alongside birds."
Researchers analyzed nearly 500 different bird species in North America using the eBird online database, which serves as a landing spot for millions of bird sightings around the globe. Especially alarming was the finding that population loss for most species was largest in spots where resident birds are most prevalent, meaning our feathered friends "are struggling even in their strongholds." The Post notes there doesn't seem to be any one overarching reason for the population declines, with theories ranging from human encroachment on bird habitats and pesticides in their food chain, to rising temps in the Arctic that are disrupting local birds' natural breeding cycle.
Not that the research revealed all bad news: For 97% of all bird species studied, there were places where smaller populations of each species still saw population spikes, per the Guardian. By studying those successful subcommunities, scientists hope they can help save the rest of those species located elsewhere. Their findings could also possibly be extrapolated to humans, at least in terms of the effects of climate change and air contamination. "If [certain environments are] not healthy enough for birds, they're unlikely to be healthy enough for people, too," Cornell ecologist and study co-author Amanda Rodewald tells the Post. (More discoveries stories.)
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