More Than Half Of U.S. Birds Declining Except…

The North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) published the State of the Birds 2022 Report, highlighting two important trends and revealing an important message.  The report reveals that birds are declining overall in every habitat except in wetlands, where decades of investment have resulted in dramatic gains.  Comebacks of waterfowl show the power of dedicated conservation funding and policy investments.  Passage of proactive conservation legislation, such as the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, is essential to reverse this trend and bring birds back.

“Over 3 billion birds have been lost since 1970- more than a quarter of our birds in the U.S. and Canada. These dramatic bird losses demonstrate the urgent need for increased funding for their conservation,” said Curt Melcher, Director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is a solution to this critical problem.”

Findings included in the report:

• More than half of U.S. bird species are declining.
• U.S. grassland birds are among the fastest declining with a 34% loss since 1970.
• Waterbirds and ducks in the U.S. have increased by 18% and 34% respectively during the same period.
• 70 newly identified Tipping Point species have each lost 50% or more of their populations in the past 50 years, and are on a track to lose another half in the next 50 years if nothing changes. They include beloved gems such as Rufous Hummingbirds, songsters such as Golden-winged Warblers, and oceanic travelers such as Black-footed Albatrosses.