The United States is facing a major environmental warning after new research revealed that the number of birds in North America has decreased by billions over several decades, with the rate of decline accelerating at an alarming pace.
A research team from Ohio State University, led by François Leroy and Marta Jarsina, studied 261 bird species and found that nearly half showed statistically significant population declines, with more than half of those declining species experiencing continuously accelerating losses since 1987.
The study points to intensive agriculture—particularly heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides—combined with rising temperatures due to global warming as the main factors driving the declines. The regions with the fastest bird losses are the Atlantic, Midwest, and California areas.
Although some rapidly declining species, such as the European starling, American crow, and house sparrow, are not immediately at risk of extinction, scientists warn that even these adaptable birds declining rapidly indicates environmental degradation severe enough to potentially affect humans and other living organisms.
Previously, in 2019, research from Cornell University reported that North America had lost over 3 billion birds since 1970. However, this new study is the first to highlight that the rate of loss is accelerating, which may signal a dangerous threat to broader ecosystem health.
:AP
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