Scores of our birds face a perilous future. That’s the dire warning from two new major reports that examined years of data from breeding bird surveys, Christmas bird counts and other annual surveys.
A study by the National Audubon Society said that 314 bird species nationwide — nearly half of all the 650 bird species that live and nest in North America — are seriously threatened by climate change, which continues to shrink their native habitats and push them into uncharted territory.
More than half of the imperiled species — including several warbler, sparrow and vireo species — spend at least a part of the year in Georgia.
Audubon’s report, titled “The State of the Birds,” found that a warming climate likely will drive the birds to smaller spaces or new habitats to live, feed and breed between now and 2080. If they don’t adapt quickly, they could face extinction.
Another new study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that one-third of American birds are in moderate to steep decline across habitats and ecosystems.
However, it also highlighted that successful conservation projects could turn the tide on some species loss.
That’s a big reason why today’s conservation efforts are vital for preserving wildlife for future generations. One such project is Audubon’s Important Bird Areas program.
Georgia’s IBA program is part of a global effort created more than a decade ago to identify and conserve areas that are vital to birds and other wildlife. The state now has 48 IBAs, each of which is deemed “critically important” for providing essential year-round breeding and feeding habitats for a variety of birds.
One such place is the 28-acre Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve in Decatur, Georgia’s first IBA, where we were birding last weekend.
In the sky: The Orionid meteor shower will be visible Saturday night through Wednesday, reaching a peak of 25 meteors per hour Tuesday night. Look to the east from about midnight until dawn, said David Dundee, Tellus Science Museum astronomer.
A partial solar eclipse will occur Thursday, beginning at 6:01 p.m. By 6:53 p.m., a maximum 26 percent of the sun will be eclipsed. Caution: Eye protection equipment always should be used when observing the sun.
The moon will be new Thursday. Mars is low in the southwest at sunset and sets a few hours later. Jupiter rises out of the east a few hours after midnight. Saturn is very low in the southwest just after dark.
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