THE ST A T E OF T HE BIRD S United States of America 2009 Birds are a priceless part of America’s heritage. They are beautiful, they are economically important—and they reflect the health of our environment. This State of the Birds report reveals troubling declines of bird populations during the past 40 years—a warning signal of the failing health of our ecosystems. At the same time, we see heartening evidence that strategic land management and conservation action can reverse declines of birds. This report calls attention to the collective efforts needed to protect nature’s resources for the benefit of people and wildlife. Contents Foreword . 3. Waterfowl . .20 Overview . .4 Marsh Birds . .21 Aridlands . .6 Coasts . 22. Grasslands . .8 Oceans . .24 Game Birds . 10. Hawaiian Birds . 26. Urban Birds . 11. Endangered Species . 28 COVER PHOTOS FROM TOP , LEFT TO RIGHT : MAGNOLIA WARBLER BY PAMELA WELLS ; SAGUARO NATIONAL MONUMENT , Forests . .12 Challenges . .30 ARIZONA , BY GERRIT VYN , GREATER PRAIRIE -CHI C KEN BY GERRIT VYN ; PA C IFI C FOREST , OPAL CREEK , OREGON , BY GERRIT VYN ; SNO W Y OW L BY GERRIT VYN ; AR C TI C C OASTAL PLAIN TUNDRA , COLVILLE RIVER DELTA , ALASKA , BY Arctic . .16 Our Approach . 33. GERRIT VYN ; OSPREY BY JAMES LIVAUDAIS . THIS PAGE : SC ARLET TANAGER BY GERRIT VYN . FA C ING PAGE : BAR -TAILED GOD W IT NEST BY GERRIT VYN . Wetlands . .18 Acknowledgements . .34 2 warning signal of the failing health of our ecosystems. Where we have been negligent too long, such as in Hawaii, we are on the verge Foreword of losing entire suites of unique and beautiful birds and native plant Birds Are Important Indicators communities. of Our Nation’s Environmental Health At the same time, we see heartening evidence that birds can respond quickly and positively to conservation action. Many waterfowl The United States is blessed with diverse landscapes, a wealth of species have undergone significant increases in the past 40 years, a natural resources, and spectacular wildlife, including more than 800 testament to coordinated conservation efforts in wetlands. Through bird species. Birds are a national treasure and a heritage we share focused conservation efforts, we have brought magnificent Peregrine with people around the world, as billions of migratory birds follow Falcons and Bald Eagles back from the brink of extinction. the seasons across oceans and continents. Our passion for nature is evident: Wildlife watching generates $122 billion in economic output We ask you to join us in continuing to reverse the damage to our annually, and one in every four American adults is a bird watcher. nation’s habitats and protect our remaining natural landscapes—the foundation upon which our precious resources, our wildlife, and In the past 200 years, however, the U.S. human population has the lives of our children depend. Cooperative conservation efforts skyrocketed from about 8 million to 300 million. As we have among the government, conservation organizations, and ordinary harvested energy and food, grown industries, and built cities, we citizens—private landowners, hunters, and bird watchers—really are have often failed to consider the consequences to nature. During our making a difference. history, we have lost a part of our natural heritage—and degraded and depleted the resources upon which our quality of life depends. It is imperative that we redouble our efforts now, before habitat loss We have lost more than half of our nation’s original wetlands, 98% and degradation become even more widespread, intractable, and of our tallgrass prairie, and virtually all virgin forests east of the expensive to solve. Together, we can ensure that future generations Rockies. Since the birth of our nation, four American bird species will look back at this first State of the Birds report with disbelief that have gone extinct, including the Passenger Pigeon, once the world’s their common birds could ever have been so troubled. most abundant bird. At least 10 more species are possibly extinct. North American Bird Conservation Birds are bellwethers of our natural and cultural health as a nation— Initiative, U.S. Committee they are indicators of the integrity of the environments that provide American Bird Conservancy us with clean air and water, fertile soils, abundant wildlife, and the Association of natural resources on which our economic development depends. In Fish and Wildlife Agencies the past 40 years, major public, private, and government initiatives Cornell Lab of Ornithology have made strides for conservation. Has it been enough? How are birds faring? Klamath Bird Observatory National Audubon Society In an unprecedented partnership, government wildlife agencies and conservation groups have come together to produce this first The Nature Conservancy comprehensive analysis of the state of our nation’s birds. The results U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are sobering: bird populations in many habitats are declining—a U.S. Geological Survey Bar-tailed Godwit nest, Alaska. 3 J A C K J EFFREYPHOTO The results reflect the influence of human activities and global change on our nation’s birds. Every U.S. habitat harbors birds in need of conserva- . C OM tion. Hawaiian birds and ocean birds appear most at risk, with populations in danger of collapse if immediate conservation measures are not imple- mented. Bird populations in grassland and aridland habitats show the most rapid declines over the past 40 years. Birds that depend on forests are also declining. In contrast, wetland species, wintering coastal birds, and hunted waterfowl show increasing populations during the past 40 years, reflecting a strong focus during this period on wetlands conservation and management. Species of Conservation Concern 70 Percentage of Federally threatened Additional species of bird species that 60 or endangered conservation concern are threatened, 50 endangered, and of The `I`iwi is a bird unique to the Hawaiian Islands. More bird species are conservation concern vulnerable to extinction in Hawaii than anywhere else in the United States. 40 in each habitat. 30 OVERVIEW 20 Percentage of Species 10 The State of Our Nation’s Birds 0 The United States is home to a tremendous diversity of native birds, with Arctic Forest Urban Aridland Coastal Wetland more than 800 species inhabiting terrestrial, coastal, and ocean habitats, Hawaiian Oceanic Grassland Habitat including Hawaii. Among these species, 67 are federally listed as endan- gered or threatened. An additional 184 are species of conservation concern Hawaiian Birds in Crisis because of their small distribution, high threats, or declining populations. More than one-third of all U.S. listed bird species occur in Hawaii and 71 Successful conservation requires information about the population status bird species have gone extinct since humans colonized the islands in about of every species to ensure the survival of endangered birds and to manage 300 AD. At least 10 more birds have not been seen in as long as 40 years and common species so they never become threatened. This report presents a may be extinct. Proven conservation measures are urgently needed to avert new synthesis of major bird-monitoring databases, including data from this global tragedy, including increasing investment in protecting remaining thousands of citizen scientists and professional biologists. We used data forests, eliminating exotic predators, and captive breeding. from three continentwide monitoring programs to create bird population indicators for major U.S. habitats, reflecting the health of these habitats and the environmental services they provide. These habitat indicators are based Declining Seabirds Signal Stressed Oceans on the population changes of obligate species—those that are restricted to a At least 39% of the U.S. birds restricted to ocean habitats are declining. single habitat and are most sensitive to environmental changes. We supple- These birds face threats from pollution, over-fishing, and warming sea tem- mented this information with data from many other surveys that focus peratures caused by climate change, as well as threats at island and coastal on species that are rare, endangered, or difficult to monitor, such as ocean nesting sites. Declining seabirds may be our most visible indication of an birds. (See pages 33–34 for methods.) ocean ecosystem under stress. 4 High Concern for Coastal Shorebirds Forest Birds Face an Uncertain Future Although some coastal birds are increasing, shorebirds that rely on coastal Although forest birds have fared better overall than birds in other habi- habitats for breeding and refueling on migration are besieged by human tats, many species have suffered steep declines and remain threatened by disturbance and dwindling food supplies. Sea level rise caused by acceler- unplanned and sprawling urban development, unsustainable logging, ating climate change will inundate shoreline habitats. Half of all coastally increased severity of wildfires, and a barrage of exotic forest pests and migrating shorebirds have declined; for example, Red Knots have declined diseases. by an alarming 82%. Because of their relatively small and highly threatened global populations, shorebirds are of high conservation concern. Conservation Successes for Endangered and Common Birds Wetland Birds Show Amazing Resilience The will of our nation to prevent extinction and reverse environmental The upward trend for wetland birds in the U.S. is a testament to the amaz- degradation is exemplified by the remarkable recovery of the Bald Eagle, ing resilience of bird populations where the health of their habitat is sus- Peregrine Falcon, and other bird populations after the banning of DDT and tained or restored. The overwhelming success of waterfowl management, other harmful pesticides. Targeted conservation programs for listed species coordinated continentally among Canada, the United States, and Mexico, remain necessary, and proactive measures involving voluntary partnerships can serve as a model for conservation in other habitats. between local, state, tribal, and federal government, nongovernmental or- ganizations, and private citizens are needed to maintain the integrity of U.S.