1/3 of U.S. Bird Species Threatened or Declining
One-third of the 800 bird species in the United States are either endangered, threatened, or in significant decline, according to a report from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The report, compiled by scientists within the government and from universities, found that bird populations in forests, grasslands, and arid areas have declined by as much as 40 percent in the past 40 years. At the same time, wetland bird populations have increased, as have populations of bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and other raptors whose eggs are no longer being damaged by the use of the insecticide, DDT. The report said the state with the most threatened bird populations is Hawaii, where 71 bird species have gone extinct and 31 are listed as threatened or endangered.
[Yale.edu]
