The newest State of Birds report is out this month and there’s both concern and hope. We’re focusing on the The State of Ocean Birds, but the full report covers all areas: lakes, grassland, forest, etc.
From the report: Of 81 ocean bird species, almost half are of conservation concern, including 4 that are federally listed as endangered or threatened. Based on available data, 39% of ocean bird species are declining, 37% stable, and 12% increasing. Too little data exist to determine the population trends for 12% of ocean birds.
Consider these other facts:
- At least 81 bird species inhabit our nation’s marine waters, spending their lives at sea and returning to islands and coasts to nest.
- At least 39% of bird species in U.S. marine waters are believed to be declining, but data are lacking for many species. Improved monitoring is imperative for conservation.
- Ocean birds travel through waters of many nations and are increasingly threatened by fishing, pollution, problems on breeding grounds, and food supplies altered by rising ocean temperatures.
- The health of our oceans and wildlife will improve with policies that address sustainable fishing, changes in food supply, and pollution.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service coordinated creation of the new report as part of the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative, which includes partners from American Bird Conservancy, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Klamath Bird Observatory, National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Geological Survey.
See the full State of Birds report Note this is large PDF file!
