Surely you’ve heard reports about birds that are threatened by environmental changes. But it’s not just far-off rainforest species or pole-dwelling penguins that face an uncertain future — many less exotic North American birds are experiencing significant drops in numbers.
In fact, 20 common North American bird populations have been cut in half in just four decades, according to the latest installment of the Audubon Society report Common Birds in Decline. These birds have earned the unfortunate distinction of a spot on Audubon’s list: American Bittern, Black-throated Sparrow, Boreal Chickadee, Common Grackle, Common Tern, Eastern Meadowlark, Evening Grosbeak, Field Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Greater Scaup, Horned Lark, Lark Sparrow, Little Blue Heron, Loggerhead Shrike, Northern Bobwhite, Northern Pintail, Ruffed Grouse, Rufous Hummingbird, Snow Bunting and Whip-poor-will.
Every bird’s situation is different,…