Concerns for Birds In America

I did a post on the importance of having birdbaths and providing water for the wildlife in your backyard. I submitted that post to Digg, a person left a comment about the problem of birds nesting early in the spring(detailed below). It got me thinking.

Below are several resources and postings about the concerns for Birds in America

"Early Birds & Springtime" is a post about the early nesting habits of many birds, ScienceCentral, by Joyce Gramza. See full details. In summary the key points are:

• Birds are nesting earlier due to global warming. Which means birds are laying their eggs much earlier.


• Baby birds then need to eat earlier. But is it too early for the large supply of insects that come out in the spring? Is the timing off ? Baby birds eat insects exclusively. There are many birds around our squirrel proof bird feeders but do not be fooled none of this seed goes to baby birds.


• A spring storm can wipe out a nest of birds. If they are coming back earlier there is higher chance of these storms affecting their existance. Their life cycle has developed over much time while the changes in our weather cycle has changed in just decades.

You can help. Citizen Science programs are for people with no formal training that want to help scientists track and record birds and other wildlife in their neighborhoods. This information helps scientists determine the effect of global warming. Scientists are eager to use anyone who is willing. See the full article "Citizen Scientists Watch for Signs of Climate Change" from the Christian Science Monitor. Nest Watch program at Cornell is one of the original programs. Here are some others:

• Society for Amateur Scientists


• Celebrate Urban Birds


• Great Backyard Count


• Christmas Bird Count: Citizen Science in Action


• EBirds


• Citizen Science at Cornell


• Cornell-Nest Cams & Camclickrs.. if you are unable to get outside..


• Various other wild life and plant life citizen science programs including Project BudBurst

According to an analysis of 40 years of data, bird populations in the United States are declining at an alarming rate due to climate change, habitat destruction, invasive species and other environmental forces.

The State of the Birds details more about these concerns. Includes a 2009 video and report on the State of the Birds, more information on endangered species & the various challenges that face birds. In addition it outlines other Citizen Science programs, some which require more expertise. The video gives you a quick overview of problem habitats and the concerns we should all have for all of our birds.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar called the disturbing news a "clarion call" for action. "If we move forward with a new ethic of conservation, we will be able to restore bird populations. Included on this site is the press conference on March 19 2009 with Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar

If you are looking for decorative birdhouses, birdbaths or squirrel proof birdfeeders for your backyard, visit YourGardenRetreat.com website for a great selection

Some other articles that may interest you are:
Nesting and Birdhouse Dimension Chart
What you need to know about the 39 Most Common Birds in America
12 Winter Bird Myths You May or May Not Know