Opinion

OPINION | FRAN ALEXANDER: If it's harming birds, it's also an unhealthy sign for human beings

Loss of billions since 1970 a subject of human concern


"'Love thy neighbor as thyself' isn't just about Homo sapiens."

-- Joe Neal

There is great irony in contrasting us with our animal cousins. We human animals are more in control of the world than other creatures are, but without them, everything falls apart. From our high perch, it seems we simply do not comprehend that we need them far more than they need us.

We are living in a time of staggering numbers. For example, in June 2020 temperatures reached 100.4 Fahrenheit in the Arctic. Recent calculations put the Covid-19 pandemic deaths at over 5.5 million people worldwide. Another astonishing number from a study stated that Americans ingest at least 50,000 nanoparticles of plastic annually, and maybe twice that amount if you add in the microscopic bits in the air and water.

The gut punch number to those of us who worry about the natural world is that 3 billion birds have been lost out of breeding populations in North America since 1970. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, "Forests alone have lost 1 billion birds. Grassland bird populations collectively have declined by 53%, or another 720 million birds." These numbers mean that in less than the span of a human lifetime, one forth of our nation's birds have disappeared.

To understand the relevance of all parts of an ecosystem, most of us have to see connections in relation to ourselves. Some of us know that without being outside where we are part of the woods, creeks, hills, deserts, and even the sea, our lives would not thrive. It is the richness of the world and the creatures in it that feeds who we are.

Other people could care less about these things so alternate connections of how ecosystems matter to their lives are important to share. Perhaps birds hold the key to other values people appreciate. For example, birds and bats eat what bugs us so they are essential to the control of aggravating and disease-carrying critters that bother or infect us. Birds also eat the insects that eat our food crops, and some even pollinate plants and disperse seeds over broad areas so they are of agricultural importance.

If you want to talk worth in money numbers, a 2019 article in "Science," points to another economic advantage that birds perform, stating, " 47 million people spend $9.3 Billion...per year through bird-related activities in the U.S."

Bird population loss usually hinges on habitat loss, urbanization, and toxic pesticide use, all which diminish bird food sources. Also, cats and window crashes are highly dangerous to birds. (There are multiple anti-collision suggestions online, and the "All About Birds," site is helpful.)

Luckily NW Arkansas has two birding organizations. Founded in 1978, the Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society (www.nwarkaudubon.org) serves four counties, and the Disorganized Bird Club is in the Harrison area. The Audubon website menu has a list of about 40 good places for birding in our corner of this state, a perfect outside activity away from virus transmitting crowds.

Shortly after forming, the Audubon birders summed up their vision for their group to be, " a focusing point for people of all ages and backgrounds, who care for the out-of-doors, not [only] for future generations, but as an anchor in reality here and now........We strive to be a valued and respected ecological conscience of the community by directing our attention to the wise use of land, water, air, wildlife – all natural resources."

Joe Neal co-authored "Arkansas Birds" with the late Doug James, so I asked him about the bird situation in our area. He responded that the good news is urban bird populations are doing OK, but the bad news is that, "Northwest Arkansas is growing too fast and a lot of habitat of all kinds is disappearing with it ... [which is] really bad for open-country birds." He also advised that "a faithful following of green infrastructure plans" would be our best conservation action for birds.

Sometimes bird population decline can be reversed, but it means putting a proactive conservation effort toward decreasing pesticide use and preserving wetland, grassland, and forest habitats. Neal explained our mutual condition with our flying neighbors this way: "Birds are distributed on the landscape according to their ecological requirements. What impacts them impacts us. We need to realize that the 'canary in the coal mine' is not just relevant to coal mines. Any activity that fundamentally reduces bird populations always will impact human populations as well."

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