03 Jan How Birds Tell Us Their Stories
If you had to guess, what percentage of the population finds statistics as their favorite subject to learn about? Most studies suggest that statistics and other forms of math are our least favorite subjects. Thinking in abstract terms is HARD, which does not bode well for the average person’s understanding of threats to birds. We connect much more readily to an individual animal than a number. We think of a face, a unique history versus a population that faces existential threats on a daily basis?
How can we link both of these concepts in order to help birds around the world? One of my dear neighbors loves feeding and watching the birds in our area. I tell her when to look out for great horned owl nesting, identify bird species, and we share stories of our brave guinea fowl outwitting the local hawks. One day she sent me the below picture of a deceased juvenile Cooper’s hawk she had been watching the last few weeks. I explained that Cooper’s hawks will frequently strike windows when in pursuit of their prey and there are ways to mitigate these deaths by putting decals and reducing artificial lighting at night. The American Bird Conservancy, a highly reputable organization known for advocacy work in the US, reported a correction to earlier estimates of window strikes, saying that we had underestimated these deaths and that bird deaths due to window strikes are likely well over 1 billion a year in the US. It is believed after further study that birds that appear fine and fly off after the collision succumb to their injuries later.
While it is one thing to bring about awareness, it is a whole new set of skills that brings about action. The birds of Avian Behavior are ambassadors and harbingers of hope to many of the ills that face birds around the world. As mentioned in another article, a little blue budgie started a journey for me that led me to the rainforests of Indonesia with no running water or electricity to assist with the first ever release of native cockatoos and parrots after a confiscation. This started an entire operation of Kembali Bebas, or return to freedom.
We have seen firsthand how an owl up close can bring people to tears. That a hawk swirling on the wind and floating on to your glove can bring about a speechlessness that cannot be replicated through CGI, AI, or any other virtual means. The stories of the disappearing grasslands, disked by tractor blades and swallowed up by houses, commercial parks, and solar fields are the homes and nests of cackling caracaras, nosy little burrowing owls, tough-as-nails songbirds, and elegant cranes. A 2019 study found grassland bird populations had fallen 53% since 1970. The 2022 State of the Birds report found two-thirds had experienced significant declines, including several that could be at risk of extinction. That means that some species had fallen over 75% in number. That’s about 700 million birds
What do you do for their stories? Sometimes you fight in townhall meetings. Sometimes you donate money to the causes you believe in. You might travel to remote pockets of the earth tucked away from the eyes of influencers and corporate bigwigs. Sometimes you re-route your entire life to share what you know so that anyone will listen and join the fight for birds.
Birds need people like us that understand their future lies in our ability to act on what we care about. Join me at the Festival of Cranes in Decatur, Alabama this January 2025 as we discuss this topic and how we can use this passion as fuel for action.