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The study,
compiled by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative and
the first of its kind to look at the vulnerability of bird
populations in Canada, the United States and Mexico, said 37
percent of all 1,154 species on the continent needed urgent
conservation action.
The governments of Canada, the United States and Mexico created
the North American Bird Conservation Initiative in 1999.
More than half the species for oceans and tropical forests are
on a special watch list because of small and declining
populations, limited ranges and severe threats to their
habitats.
"The outlook for oceanic birds ... is the bleakest of any North
American bird group," said the report, which blamed invasive
predators such as rats and cats on nesting islands as well as
overfishing, pollution and climate change.
Ways to address the problem include removing predators,
expanding protected marine areas and reducing the amount of
plastic products that end up in the ocean and can trap or choke
birds, the report said.
Many species in coastal, grassland and arid habitats are
declining steeply, in particular long-distance migratory shore
birds. The main causes are sea level rise, coastal development,
human activity and oil spills, the report said.
The report can be found at: http://www.stateofthebirds.org/2016/
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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