US Edition75 percent of North America’s bird species are in decline, study says
- A team led by Alison Johnston published a study on May 1, 2025, revealing sharp declines in North American bird populations using data across the Americas.
- The study addresses the lack of localized, high-quality data by applying machine learning to nearly 36 million observations from the citizen science platform eBird.
- Their analysis covered 495 species and mapped trends in 27-by-27-kilometer plots, uncovering widespread declines especially in species' strongholds and revealing complex regional patterns.
- Between 1970 and 2017, bird populations in North America declined by nearly one-third, amounting to an estimated loss of 2.9 billion breeding adults, with 83 percent of species experiencing the fastest declines in regions where they were previously most plentiful.
- The findings highlight an ongoing extinction crisis disruptive to ecosystems and are now used by wildlife agencies to guide conservation and minimize impacts on species like Bald Eagles.
44 Articles
44 Articles
Study Details Alarming Decline in North American Bird Populations
A new study published in the journal Science finds three-quarters of all bird species are in decline across North America, with the strongest declines occurring in areas where species were most abundant.
The Reporter
Flocking to a cause: Towamencin earns ‘Bird Town’ designation
TOWAMENCIN — A new designation is now in place, one that Towamencin hopes will spur residents to take an extra look upward. “Congratulations, Towamencin, for being number 77 — so happy for you to be joining our program,” said Heidi Shiver, president of Bird Town Pennsylvania. Bird Town Pennsylvania is an organization that works with communities and organizations across the commonwealth that aim to create a healthier, more sustainable environment…
North American birds are plummeting in areas where they’re plentiful
A newly published study has found that nearly 75% of bird species in North America are sharply declining across their ranges, and eight in 10 plummeting in the very areas where they’re thought to be thriving and plentiful. Nearly every species, 97%, had gains and losses in their populations depending on the location, the study found. The researchers used birdwatcher citizen science data from eBird, an online database where birders can record che…
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