Half of the bird species on Earth are facing decline

A study published today by BirdLife International shows that 49 percent of the world’s approximately 11,000 bird species are in decline and one in eight is currently threatened with extinction.

BirdLife’s State of the World’s Birds Report echoes a study we reported in May that says the populations of 48 percent of the world’s bird species are shrinking.

BirdLife also ranks countries based on the number of threatened species within their borders. Indonesia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and China are the top five. The United States ranks eighth with 87 species threatened worldwide. This includes 42 Vulnerable species, 24 Endangered species, 21 Critically Endangered species.

Stuart Butchart, chief scientist at BirdLife, admitted that “the situation is dire, but we know how to reverse these declines. Our research shows that between 21 and 32 bird species will disappear since 1993 without conservation efforts being made to save them.Species such as the Echo Parakeet, California Condor, Northern Bald Ibis, and Black Stilt would not exist outside of museums if not for dedicated efforts of many organizations in the BirdLife Partnership and more. If we give nature a chance, it will recover.”

The biggest threat comes from agriculture

The State of the World’s Birds Report is published every four years by BirdLife International and based on the most recent review of BirdLife datasets on the status of all 11,000 species of the world’s birds and 13,660 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, a comprehensive review of recent scientific literature and input from the 119 national organizations that comprise the BirdLife Partnership.

In addition to showing dramatic declines in bird populations worldwide, the report also identifies what is driving the losses:

• The expansion and intensification of agriculture is the single biggest threat to the world’s birds, affecting 73% of all threatened species.
• Increasing mechanization, the use of agrochemicals and the conversion of grassland to cropland has caused a 57% decline in farmland birds in Europe since 1980.
• Unsustainable logging and forest management are also important issues, with the loss of over 7 million hectares of forest each year affecting half of all threatened bird species.
• Climate change is also a major threat and is already having devastating effects on the world’s birds. At least 34% of endangered species are already affected, and our changing climate is expected to become an even greater issue.

An example of the threat posed by the expansion of agricultural areas: In Ethiopia, the loss of grassland habitats on farmland since 2007 has caused an 80% decline in the numbers of Liben Larks — an endemic species which is nowhere else on Earth.

“From the last time State of the World’s Birds The report was released in 2018, we see a continued deterioration in the status of the world’s birds — a greater proportion of bird species are declining in population trends than ever before, and the overall risk of extinction continues to is growing,” said Lucy Haskell, science officer at BirdLife and lead author of the new report. “This declining status is driven by increasing threats — many of the most important threats such as agriculture and logging continue to cause widespread decline, as we begin to see other threats such as climate change, wildfires, and the increasing importance of avian flu.. The COVID pandemic has further highlighted the relationship between our own health and the natural world – research suggests that wildlife, and birds in particular, are beneficial for our mental well-being, but our overabundance exploitation of wild animals and the destruction and destruction of natural habitats. increases the risk of diseases being transmitted from wild animals to humans.”

Saving habitat is key

The report concludes that one of the most important actions is to effectively protect and manage the most critical areas for birds and other biodiversity. Although more action is needed, since 2013 over 450 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) have been protected and 726 globally threatened bird species have directly benefited from BirdLife Partnership actions.

BirdLife International has identified over 13,600 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs). IBAs form the core of a wider network of Key Biodiversity Areas – and are increasingly used to target the designation of protected areas. For example, in October 2021 – following a decade of work led by BirdLife — the North Atlantic Current and Evlanov Sea-basin (NACES) has been designated a Marine Protected Area (MPA), covering an area the size of Texas and supporting up to five million seabirds of 21 different species. This is the first MPA in the High Seas identified based on monitoring data.

Thanks to BirdLife International for providing this news.