A tiny shorebird, the Piping Plover, is a species of concern. It is protected by the Endangered Species Act, but it needs constant vigilance to make sure its beach nesting habitat is protected. (Photo by Gene Nieminen, USFWS)
A new report says more than one quarter of America’s bird species are
at risk of serious declines. Rebecca Williams reports most of the
species are not protected under the Endangered Species Act:
Transcript
A new report says more than one quarter of America’s bird species are
at risk of serious declines. Rebecca Williams reports most of the
species are not protected under the Endangered Species Act:
The National Audubon Society and American Bird Conservancy put together
a list of the birds at the greatest risk.
More than 175 species in the continental U.S. and 39 bird species in
Hawaii made the list.
Greg Butcher directs bird conservation for Audubon. He says many bird
species are threatened by habitat loss. He says some coastal birds are
losing nesting habitat to rising sea levels caused by global warming.
He says most of the bird species are not on the Endangered Species
List:
“And most of them don’t belong on the Endangered Species Act at this
point. And one of the things we want to do is start active
conservation for these species before they need to be listed.”
Butcher says it’s not just up to conservation groups. He says
homeowners can also help by making backyard habitats better for birds.
For the Environment Report, I’m Rebecca Williams.