>> SF Chronicle feature on the report and findings in CA 3/20/09
>> California Avian Data Center
National Report Findings:
67 species of bird in the US are threatened or endangered
184 species are of conservation concern
Shorebirds were found to be of highest conservaiton concern accross the entire country.
The birds of the Hawaiian Islands are the most threatened, followed by aridlands, oceans, coasts, and grassland birds.
Wetland birds overall have increased over the last 40 years due to wetland habitat restoration efforts, however, certain species are still facing serious declines.
In California and throughout the west, PRBO's research shows similar trends.
>> Climate change is going to alter the distribution of birds in the state. Click here to view interactive maps of predicted altered distribution for songbirds in CA.
>> Some songbirds are arriving earlier to central California in the spring for breeding and others are arriving later, causing concern about mismatches in breeding and food availability.
>> CA coastal birds are threatened by rising sea level, human disturbance, and coastal development.
>> Desert songbirds had reduced breeding during 3 years of consecutive record droughts.
>> Cassin’s Auklets that breed on at the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge had 2 consecutive years of breeding failure during periods of unusually poor ocean conditions.
>> A publication on California's Bird Species of Special Concern was produced in 2008 by PRBO, CA Department of Fish and Game, and Western Field Ornithologists.
Working to reduce negative trends:
>> In CA and throughout the west, PRBO is partnering with government agencies, conservation organizations, private citizens, Joint Ventures, and others to find ways to protect birds and their habitats.
“Birds are sentinels of environmental change and we should heed their warnings. Conserving habitats to sustain birds today means securing nature’s benefits that we all rely on as we face an increasingly uncertain future,” -- Ellie Cohen, PRBO’s President and CEO.
