Gardening: Bird losses alarming in North America

The numbers were stunning. Nearly 2.9 million songbirds have disappeared from North America’s forests and grasslands since 1970. About 90% of those losses are coming from just 12 families of birds we all know well including sparrows, blackbirds, warblers and finches. The study was done by a consortium of bird researchers including the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology and was published online in Science Magazine this past September.

“These bird losses are a strong signal that our human-altered landscapes are losing their ability to support birdlife,” said Cornell Lab of Ornithology conservation scientist Ken Rosenberg, the leader of the study. “And that is an indicator of a coming collapse of the overall environment.”

The losses stretch into every biome in North America from the tundra to forests to shorelines to grasslands – especially grasslands where 53% of the birds have disappeared.

The reasons for the decline are many but they center on the loss of habitat from development and the expansion of agriculture. The problem is huge and not one any one individual can solve. But we can make a start on our own patches of land. Here are seven ideas from the Cornell Ornithology Lab to get started with.

Close window shades or put stencils on the glass. Many birds are killed running into windows. They can’t see the glass. We have glass deck rail panels so we attached a fine-meshed bird net over the glass the birds can see.

Keep cats inside or at least remove shrubs, trees and plants from around your feeders so there isn’t anywhere to hide and ambush a bird. Clean up seed off the ground so the birds don’t land to eat. Make sure there is cover for the birds to escape to if a cat comes around.

Replace lawn with native plants, shrubs and trees that provide birds with food, shelter and nesting areas. The birds and native plants have evolved together. If you live in the City of Spokane, use the SpokaneScape program to replace lawn with natives and get a credit on your utility bill. You will reduce your water use and help the birds at the same time.

Avoid using pesticides that kill insects the birds often use for food. A landscape devoid of bugs is a dead landscape.

Drink shade-grown coffee if you are a coffee drinker. You will be helping 42 species of North American songbirds in the process. The coffee plants are grown under other trees that continue to provide habitat for birds.

Reduce your use of plastics and make sure that those you do use don’t end up free in the environment. Birds often mistaken bits of plastic for a tasty morsel and their stomachs fill up with plastic.

Lastly, join the citizen scientist efforts to track the birds that come to your yard. This year the Audubon Society’s 120th annual Christmas Bird Count will be from Saturday, Dec. 14,through Sunday, Jan. 5. Check out the information box to get involved.