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....