With development, common birds are losing ground

[YankeyMCC]

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WASHINGTON -- The loss of millions of acres of grasslands and shrubs nationwide to suburban sprawl and agriculture -- along with a warming planet -- has dramatically reduced the numbers of common birds seen across the United States over the past 40 years, according to a National Audubon Society study released yesterday.

In Massachusetts, several birds seen regularly three or four decades ago, including the Northern bobwhite and the Eastern meadowlark, have all but disappeared, according to the study.
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"These are not rare or exotic birds we're talking about ; these are the birds that visit our feeders and congregate at nearby lakes and seashores, and yet they are disappearing day by day," said Carol Browner , Audubon board chairwoman and former Environmental Protection Agency administrator in the Clinton administration. "Their decline tells us we have serious work to do, from protecting local habitats to addressing the huge threats from global warming."
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One key fight for conservationists is in Congress, where lawmakers are set to consider a farm bill that includes the Conservation Reserve Program , which has preserved 36 million acres nationwide in grasslands. But the drive to produce more ethanol -- a corn-based alternative fuel that many contend can help solve America's energy woes -- has spurred proposals that could transform those grasslands into cornfields.
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Individuals can help stem the decline of common birds in several ways, including dedicating parts of backyards to native plants and shrubs that "produce berries, rich and fat ones, which are tremendous help for migratory birds in the spring and fall," Weidensaul said. He also doesn't cut back his perennial flower beds in wintertime, which attracts birds "scuffing around for seeds."
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http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/06/15/with_development_common_birds_are_losing_ground/?page=1

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/city_seen/birds_in_decline