WatchList 2002 Details Declining U.S. Birds

By Cat Lazaroff

NEW YORK, New York, October 22, 2002 (ENS) - More than one-quarter of native U.S. birds are declining or in trouble, warns a new report from the National Audubon Society. The conservation group has identified more than 200 species that face shrinking numbers, restricted habitat or other threats, in a report aimed at helping environmental agencies understand where their limited resources can best be used to help America's birds.

In 1996, Audubon released its first WatchList, an inventory of birds facing decline and habitat loss, designed to keep common birds common. Now, six years later, Audubon has released its WatchList 2002, a comprehensive Web site devoted to assessing the conservation status of the 201 bird species in the United States that have the greatest conservation needs, out of the 800 species that occur there.

The i'iwi, a small songbird from Hawaii, appears on the WatchList's red list of species in major trouble. (Photo © Chandler Robbins, courtesy National Audubon Society)

"Audubon WatchList 2002 is a warning system that shows us where to focus our attention and resources if we want to help the survival of a vast number of bird species," said Frank Gill, Audubon's chief ornithologist and senior vice president for science, and author of the comprehensive reference, "Birds of North America".

"It is also a powerful tool that policymakers, businesses, and the general public can use now to take positive conservation action," Gill added.

The greater prairie chicken, on the red list, is one of the famous drumming grouse of the American Great Plains. (Photo © Iowa Department of Natural Resources)

The California thrasher and the southeast's painted bunting both show declines in excess of 50 percent, while the cerulean warbler of the eastern U.S. has declined by more than 70 percent and the Henslow's sparrow from the Midwest has dropped by 80 percent.

The Hawaiian 'akikiki from Kauai has dropped from about 6,800 birds in the early 70's to just 1,000 individuals today.

The hermit warbler, a songbird of Western states, appears on the yellow list. (Photo © George Steele, courtesy National Audubon Society)

The USFWS report also showed that Americans spent $40 billion on wildlife watching in 2001, up from $30 billion in 1996 and $21 billion in 1991.

"WatchList is preventative medicine," said Gill. "It will be used first and foremost to enlist federal, state, and local governments to focus their resources towards protecting these birds before they become endangered or threatened - when they would demand more serious action and major taxpayer support to recover."

The short eared owl hunts small mammals across much of the United States. (Photo courtesy USFWS)

The final product recognizes three levels of concern:

RED: Species in this category of global conservation concern are declining rapidly, have very small populations or limited ranges, and face major conservation threats. Audubon identifies several red listed species as probable candidates for inclusion on the federal threatened or endangered species lists.

Red listed species include the red legged kitiwake, a rare shorebird; the Hawaiian i'iwi, a small songbird; the emperor goose that nests in Alaska; and the greater prairie chicken, one of the famous drumming grouse of the Great Plains.

YELLOW: This category includes the majority of species identified. Yellow list birds are declining, but at slower rates than those in the red category. These typically are birds of national conservation concern, and those that can be saved most cost effectively.

The surfbird, a declining shorebird, appears on the yellow list. (Photo courtesy USFWS)

GREEN: Species in this category are not declining, have unknown trends, or have very large population sizes. These species are not included on the Audubon WatchList.

According to the WatchList report, changes in bird populations, communities, reproductive rates, and behavior, alert scientists to alterations in habitat integrity, water quality, fishery stock health, and the presence of toxic pollutants.

The red headed woodpecker requires open fields for catching insects, and hollow trees for nesting. (Photo © Ohio Department of Natural Resources)

The methodology used in the WatchList was developed in conjunction with Partners in Flight, a coalition of North American ornithological groups of which Audubon is a leading member. The WatchList also uses a species assessment system created by BirdLife International, including criteria such as population declines and habitat losses.

For more information, visit Audubon's WatchList website at: http://www.audubon.org/bird/watchlist