Bird Conservation

Birds are in trouble. A landmark 2019 study documented the loss of nearly 3 billion birds in North America since 1970 — a 29% decline across virtually all habitats and species groups. Globally, one in eight bird species is threatened with extinction. The causes are well understood. The solutions are within reach. What's needed is action.

The Threats

Habitat Loss

The single greatest threat to birds worldwide. Tropical deforestation destroys breeding habitat for migratory and resident species alike. Grassland conversion eliminates nesting habitat for ground-nesting birds. Wetland drainage removes critical stopover sites for migrants.

Climate Change

Shifting temperature and precipitation patterns alter the timing of insect emergence, plant flowering, and bird migration — creating mismatches that affect breeding success. Rising sea levels threaten coastal nesting sites, and more frequent extreme weather events destroy nests and exhaust energy reserves.

Cats and Collisions

Domestic and feral cats kill an estimated 2.4 billion birds annually in the United States alone. Window collisions claim another 600 million. These human-caused mortality sources disproportionately affect common species that live near human habitation.

Pesticides

Neonicotinoid insecticides reduce the insect prey base that birds depend on. Rodenticides poison raptors and owls that eat contaminated rodents. Agricultural herbicides eliminate the weed seeds that sparrows and other seed-eaters rely on.

Conservation Success Stories

Not all the news is bad. Dedicated conservation efforts have pulled species back from the brink:

• Bald Eagle — Recovered from fewer than 500 nesting pairs in the 1960s to over 70,000 today, following the DDT ban and Endangered Species Act protections
• Peregrine Falcon — Extirpated from eastern North America by DDT, then successfully reintroduced through captive breeding programs
• California Condor — Reduced to just 22 individuals in 1987, now numbering over 500 through intensive captive breeding and release efforts

What You Can Do

• Keep cats indoors — The single most impactful action an individual can take for bird conservation
• Make windows bird-safe — Apply decals, screens, or UV-reflective film to reduce collisions
• Plant native species — Native plants support native insects, which support native birds
• Reduce pesticide use — Choose organic or IPM approaches in your yard and garden
• Support conservation organizations — Audubon, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, BirdLife International, and local land trusts
• Participate in citizen science — eBird, Christmas Bird Count, and breeding bird surveys provide critical data

Every action matters. The birds need us now.