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No there are not fewer birds. Ornithologists routinely census areas for species and counts. They notice when species decline in an area. They notice when new sp

No there are not fewer birds. Ornithologists routinely census areas for species and counts. They notice when species decline in an area. They notice when new species arrive in an area. There have been zero reports of birds in general declining. EDIT: Here's a reference [1]. Note that it specifically calls out species in general decline: the Northern Bobwhite, American Kestrel, and the Loggerhead Shrike. [1] http://www.audubon.org/news/the-118th-annual-audubon-christmas-bird-count-almost-here http://www.audubon.org/news/the-118th-annual-audubon-christm...

downer69 9y ago
Did you not read the article? It says there are less birds. Not a decline in variety. The birds are going away.
lowleveldrone 9y ago
North American birds are absolutely in decline. From this article [1], the overall population has decreased by about 1.5 billion birds since 1970. For some groups of species, for instance, aerial insectivores [2], things are much worse. For instance, the population of bank and barn swallows, chimney swifts and common nighthawks has decreased by 70% over the past twenty years alone. The Christmas Bird Survey is done after most birds have migrated and so captures data on the relative abundance of resident birds, which as a group, are doing better than birds in North America overall. [1] https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/science/report-finds-north-american-skies-quieter-by-15-billion-fewer-birds/article31876053/ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/science/report-fi... [2] http://www.bsc-eoc.org/download/BWCwi08.pdf http://www.bsc-eoc.org/download/BWCwi08.pdf
sveme 9y ago
There's hard data from a study over 27 years in Germany on the decline of insects, references below: > sabertoothed In some nature protected areas in Germany, researchers [1] have reported a 75% decline in flying insects over 27 years. Study is from Oct 2017. This is alarming. [1] http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal... http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.....
ItsMe000001 9y ago
The link that you give mentions "record setting count circles" - but this is about the number of areas in which they count, not about the number of birds! In fact, apart from two or three statements about one particular species I see not a single statement about the overall status. So I don't see how this article in particular supports your assertion of "No there are not fewer birds.", it does not say anything one way or the other. The only statements about bird numbers made in that article are about declines, but only about two or three selected species, for example with this sentence (quote from your linked article): "A disturbing finding from last year was the continued decline of the Northern Bobwhite". So you may or may not be right, the one reference that you provide does not help me to come to a conclusion, except that I wonder why you chose it.
pbhjpbhj 9y ago
There are many insectivorous bird species. We've become more efficient at killing insects, and thus depressing their populations. Agreed? What are the insectivorous birds eating if their populations aren't declining?

downer69 9y ago

Did you not read the article? It says there are less birds. Not a decline in variety. The birds are going away.

lowleveldrone 9y ago

North American birds are absolutely in decline. From this article [1], the overall population has decreased by about 1.5 billion birds since 1970. For some groups of species, for instance, aerial insectivores [2], things are much worse. For instance, the population of bank and barn swallows, chimney swifts and common nighthawks has decreased by 70% over the past twenty years alone. The Christmas Bird Survey is done after most birds have migrated and so captures data on the relative abundance of resident birds, which as a group, are doing better than birds in North America overall. [1] https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/science/report-finds-north-american-skies-quieter-by-15-billion-fewer-birds/article31876053/ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/science/report-fi... [2] http://www.bsc-eoc.org/download/BWCwi08.pdf http://www.bsc-eoc.org/download/BWCwi08.pdf

sveme 9y ago

There's hard data from a study over 27 years in Germany on the decline of insects, references below: > sabertoothed In some nature protected areas in Germany, researchers [1] have reported a 75% decline in flying insects over 27 years. Study is from Oct 2017. This is alarming. [1] http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal... http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.....

ItsMe000001 9y ago

The link that you give mentions "record setting count circles" - but this is about the number of areas in which they count, not about the number of birds! In fact, apart from two or three statements about one particular species I see not a single statement about the overall status. So I don't see how this article in particular supports your assertion of "No there are not fewer birds.", it does not say anything one way or the other. The only statements about bird numbers made in that article are about declines, but only about two or three selected species, for example with this sentence (quote from your linked article): "A disturbing finding from last year was the continued decline of the Northern Bobwhite". So you may or may not be right, the one reference that you provide does not help me to come to a conclusion, except that I wonder why you chose it.

pbhjpbhj 9y ago

There are many insectivorous bird species. We've become more efficient at killing insects, and thus depressing their populations. Agreed? What are the insectivorous birds eating if their populations aren't declining?