A third of North America's bird population is facing extinction, a new scientific report has revealed.
A new report made public on May 18 has highlighted that one-third of the 350 species of migratory birds across North America are nearing extinction at an alarming pace.
Bird Studies Canada biologist Christian Artuso, who also serves as the director of the Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas, said that nations are linked by these birds and that alone calls for united efforts toward preservation. All nations concerned must take an active initiative in bringing biodiversity back before it becomes too late.
International Action On Bird Preservation
Representatives of non-government organizations, policymakers and scientists from Mexico, Canada and the United States convened during the Trilateral Committee for Wildlife Ecosystem and Management in Ottawa to discuss the merits of the State of North America's Birds report (PDF) and come up with methods to strengthen conservation efforts.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna said that joint international action on conservation efforts would help bolster the bird population as concerted efforts would have far-reaching results.
"Partnerships like this allow us to 'spread our wings' beyond our own nests," McKenna said.
"The report paints a troubling picture," she added. "There is no single reason for the decline in our bird populations. They range from habitat loss and pesticides to global climate change."
The report noted that several species that were endangered before were able to rebound because of conservation efforts. For instance, wood ducks were not as abundant before as they are now. These migratory birds were almost pushed to extinction because of loss of habitat and market hunting. Their numbers continually increased through intergovernmental efforts.
The Battle To Protect Migratory Birds
Artuso expressed that despite conservation efforts, North America is still losing almost half of its bird species, including tropical forest birds, oceanic birds and grassland birds. He is hoping that whatever efforts Canada does in preserving birds are complemented by the wintering grounds, or else all efforts would fail.
Close monitoring and communication about the numbers and behaviors of migratory birds must be done to ensure that all concerned nations are complying with the efforts to preserve the bird population.
In a report, Tech Times highlighted a study stating that poor coordination of conservation efforts on a global scale harms the population of migratory birds. About 90 percent of the world's migratory bird species are not effectively protected across their migratory paths.
Photo: Ingrid Taylar | Flickr
