\u201cNot only are we losing birds, we are losing them faster and faster from year to year,\u201d said study co-author Marta Jarzyna, an ecologist at Ohio State University. \u201cExcept for forest birds, almost every group is doing poorly. So we need to ask ourselves a question. How do we protect these groups of birds?\u201d<\/p>\n
The only consolation is that the birds that are shrinking in numbers the fastest are species \u2014 such as the European starling, American crow, grackle and house sparrow \u2014 with large enough populations that they aren\u2019t yet at risk of going extinct, said study lead author Francois Leroy, also an Ohio State ecologist. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing is that species extinction, they start with a decline in abundance,\u201d Leroy said, adding that \u201cthe decline is somehow maybe giving a preview of what it could lead to in terms of species extinction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cornell University conservation scientist Kenneth Rosenberg, who wasn\u2019t part of the study, said the species declining fastest in the new research \u201care often considered pests or \u2018trash birds,\u2019 but if our environment cannot support healthy populations of these extreme generalists and extremely adaptable species that are tolerant of humans, then that is a very strong indicator that the environment is also toxic to humans and all other life.\u201d <\/p>\n
A 2019 study by Rosenberg<\/a> of the same bird species found North America had 3 billion fewer birds than in 1970, but didn\u2019t look at changes in the rate of loss or causes.<\/p>\n Biggest bird losses in areas warming most<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A mourning dove perches on a tree Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Milford, Ohio. (AP Photo\/Joshua A. Bickel)<\/p>\n A mourning dove perches on a tree Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Milford, Ohio. (AP Photo\/Joshua A. Bickel)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n The biggest locations for acceleration of bird loss were in the Mid-Atlantic, the Midwest and California, the study found. And geography proved important when Leroy and Jarzyna looked for reasons why so many bird species are shrinking ever faster.<\/p>\n When it came to population declines \u2014 not the acceleration \u2014 the scientists noticed bigger losses further south<\/a>. When they did a deeper analysis they statistically connected those losses to warmer temperatures from human-caused climate change.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIn regions where temperatures increase the most, we are seeing strongest declines in populations,\u201d Jarzyna said. \u201cOn the other hand, the acceleration of those declines, that\u2019s mostly driven by agricultural practices.\u201d<\/p>\n Farmland issues speed up bird declines<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A red-winged blackbird eats from a feeder Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Milford, Ohio. (AP Photo\/Joshua A. Bickel)<\/p>\n A red-winged blackbird eats from a feeder Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Milford, Ohio. (AP Photo\/Joshua A. Bickel)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n The scientists found statistical correlations between speeded-up decline rates and high fertilizer use, high pesticide use and amount of cropland, Leroy said. He said they couldn\u2019t say any of those caused the acceleration of losses, but it indicates agriculture in general is a factor.<\/p>\n \u201cThe stronger the agriculture, the faster we will lose birds,\u201d Leroy said.<\/p>\n Jarzyna said there is a \u201cstrong interaction\u201d between climate change and agriculture in their effect on bird populations. <\/p>\n \u201cWe found that agricultural intensification causes stronger accelerations of decline in regions where climate warmed the most,\u201d Jarzyna said.<\/p>\n McGill University wildlife biologist David Bird, who wasn\u2019t part of the study, said it was done well and that its conclusions made sense. With a growing human population, agriculture practices are intensified, more bird habitats are being converted to cropland, modern machinery often grind up nests and eggs and single crop plantings offer less possibilities for birds to find food and nests, said Bird, the editor of \u201cBirds of Canada.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest impact of agricultural intensity though is our war on insects<\/a>. Numerous recent studies have shown that insect populations in many places throughout the world, including the U.S., have crashed by well over 40 percent,\u201d Bird said in an email. \u201cMany of the birds in this new study showing population declines depend heavily on insects for food.\u201d<\/p>\n Birds do a lot for humans<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A great blue heron takes off Sept. 26, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo\/Joshua A. Bickel, File)<\/p>\n A great blue heron takes off Sept. 26, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo\/Joshua A. Bickel, File)<\/p>\n Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n This study is both \u201calarming\u201d and \u201csobering\u201d because of the sheer numbers of losses and the patterns in those accelerating declines, said Richard Gregory, head of monitoring conservation science at University College London. He was not part of this research.<\/p>\n The paper shows that people need to change the way they live to reduce human-caused warming, reduce agricultural intensity, monoculture of crops and broad application of chemicals, said Cornell University ornithologist Andrew Farnsworth, who wasn\u2019t part of the study.<\/p>\n \u201cHere is why this study is especially important. Birds do a lot for humans,\u2019’ McGill biologist Bird said in an email. \u201dThey feed us, clothe us, eat pests, pollinate our plants and crops, and warn us about impending environmental disasters. With their songs, colors, and variety, birds enrich our lives\u2026 and recent studies show that their immediate presence actually increases our well-being and happiness and can even prolong our lives! To me, a world without birds is simply unfathomable.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n The Associated Press\u2019 climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP\u2019s standards<\/a> for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Billions fewer birds are flying through North American skies than decades ago and their population…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":322752,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[3810,264,72,3229,1594,2885,149949,246,149948,114080,61,60,82,149947,265],"class_list":{"0":"post-322751","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-agriculture","9":"tag-animals","10":"tag-business","11":"tag-climate","12":"tag-climate-and-environment","13":"tag-climate-change","14":"tag-david-bird","15":"tag-environment","16":"tag-francois-leroy","17":"tag-future-of-food","18":"tag-ie","19":"tag-ireland","20":"tag-science","21":"tag-songbirds","22":"tag-zoology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=322751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322751\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/322752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=322751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=322751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=322751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772330593_253_.jpeg\")
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