U.S. bird populations in decline, report says
Secretary of the Interior calls government agencies and the public to action
A review of bird populations in the United States was released March 19 by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. Nearly a third of the United States’ 800 bird species are endangered, threatened or in significant decline, the new report shows.
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Bird populations are critical indicators of the health of our environment — “like the canary in the coal mine,” Salazar said at a press conference.
The report, called The U.S. State of the Birds, combines 40 years of studies from government agencies and data gathered by citizen scientists participating in bird censuses like the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count.