Three Billion Birds

One of the most horrifying statistics I have run into during the past couple of years is that there are three billion (yes, billion) fewer birds in America than there were fifty years ago. I do not know exactly how researchers have arrived at this figure, but I do know that I encounter fewer birds afield than I once did.

There are many reasons for the decline of bird numbers. Various chemicals and pesticides that have been introduced into the environment have taken their toll, either directly or through the plants and bugs that birds ingest. The decrease in bug numbers gives birds less to eat. In addition, various predators, including cats, kill untold numbers of birds.

The most obvious reason for the decline in bird numbers is the loss of habitat. Here in America we have witnessed the replacement of natural habitat with various types of urban sprawl. Areas that were once forested or that were once lovely meadows have been replaced with horrid strip malls and other man-made atrocities. The land surrounding State College is an egregious example of this. In addition, habitat in birds’ wintering areas in Central America and even South America has also been destroyed. The destruction of large swaths of the Amazon rainforest has been publicized as a looming environmental disaster.

Having written this, I was somewhat encouraged this spring when I ran into several birds that I had not encountered for a number of years. The first of these were goldfinches. Donna had told me about spotting a number of them along the Lower Trail during some of her walks with Sage, her dog. When I accompanied them a couple of times, I was delighted by the splashes of gold fluttering about. While driving to and from some of my fishing adventures, I spotted more goldfinches in several other spots.

For a number of years, I had noticed the decline of red-winged blackbirds along local streams. Others had described the decline of these birds in various publications, and things were looking dire for these vocal birds. This year, however, I have encountered redwings in a number of areas, and I think there is hope for their recovery.

Each year I hear a whippoorwill or two when scouting for gobblers. This year I heard whippoorwills in more places than I ever have while scouting. I heard several other whippoorwills while I was fishing, too, and it appears their numbers may be increasing.

Let’s hope that bird populations can recover from the various things that have suppressed their numbers.