A world without birds?
Marc Devokaitis, associate editor for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
The 2025 U.S. State of the Birds report – an
assessment of the health of the nation’s bird populations, published by
scientists from U.S. conservation groups, including the Cornell
Lab of Ornithology – shows that bird populations across the
United States are still in decline, with the losses touching the majority of
bird groups and habitats from coast to coast. And some of the bright spots from
recent reports, such as a long-term increase in waterfowl numbers, are
beginning to dim.
The report was presented March 13 at the 90th North American
Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, which included wildlife and resource
managers from around the country.
Key findings in the new report include:
- About
a third of American birds (229 species) are of high or moderate concern
due to low populations, declining trends or other threats to their
survival;
- Both
Eastern and Western forest birds are continuing to decline overall, and
the rates of decline are increasing in the West;
- Grassland
and arid-land birds in the U.S. are among the fastest declining groups
(43% and 41% declines, respectively, since 1970); and
- Waterfowl
populations, which have increased overall since 1970, have declined by 20%
since 2014.
In total, 42 species are classified as Red-Alert Tipping Point Species – including greater prairie-chicken, yellow-billed magpie and tricolored blackbird – meaning they have perilously low populations. An additional 37 species are considered Orange Alert, indicating that their populations are declining long-term, and that those declines are accelerating. Birds in this group include widespread species such as chimney swift, evening grosbeak and Eastern towhee.
“The rapid declines in birds signal the intensifying
stressors that wildlife and people alike are experiencing around the world
because of habitat loss, environmental degradation and extreme weather events,”
said Amanda Rodewald, Garvin Professor and
senior director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Center for Avian Population
Studies, and co-chair of the science committee for the new report. “When we see
declines like those outlined in the report, we also need to remember that if
conditions are not healthy for birds, they’re unlikely to be healthy for us.”
Despite the worrying trends, the report emphasizes that
concerted efforts and strategic investments can recover bird populations. One
of several examples included is a 2009 initiative to coordinate funding and
management across 16 coastal states that led to a 43% increase in the regional
population of American oystercatchers, a shorebird species now bucking the
overall trend of declines. The authors also point to innovative opportunities
such as conservation ranching, coastal restoration, forest renewal and seabird
translocation that can spark turnarounds for birds.
When it comes to the recent waterfowl declines – which the
report attributes to drought, rollbacks in wetland protections and conversion
of wetlands to row-crop agriculture – Steve Adair, chief scientist for Ducks
Unlimited, acknowledges the challenges detailed in the report while taking
heart in the successes seen in recent decades.
“Many bird populations are struggling. But a proven
blueprint for success is science-based planning and collaborative investment in
habitat conservation,” Adair said. “Decades of strategic and aggressive wetland
habitat conservation from hunters, landowners, state and federal agencies, and
corporations has boosted numerous waterfowl and waterbird species when weather
conditions are favorable. We’ve shown it works.”
The report also cites an economic analysis estimating that
birding-related activities generate $279 billion in total annual economic
output for the U.S. each year, and points to a string of recent research
showing encounters with birds can reduce stress, anxiety and depressive
symptoms while increasing life satisfaction and sense of peace.
“Fortunately, many of the actions that are good for birds
are good for us,” Rodewald said. “When we protect the habitats that birds rely
upon, we also protect the ecosystem services that sustain us.”
The State of the Birds report is a publication of the North
American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI), with contributions from the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
