The Condition of Arctic Birds in the United States

The United States Department of Interior has released a wide-ranging report on bird populations found throughout the United States titled the State of the Birds – United States of America 2009. Understanding the health of birds provides a direct indication of the Arctic’s environmental wellbeing. Robust bird populations depend on clean water, clean air, fertile lands and oceans.

Speakingof the report, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar says, “Just as they were when Rachel Carson published Silent Spring nearly 50 years ago, birds today are a bellwether of the health of land, water and ecosystems. From shorebirds in New England to warblers in Michigan to songbirds in Hawaii, we are seeing disturbing downward population trends that should set off environmental alarm bells. We must work together now to ensure we never hear the deafening silence in our forests, fields and backyards that Rachel Carson warned us about.”

Habitat Regions Studied in Alaska

Alaska hosts three broad habitat regions detailed in the State of the Birds report; Coasts, Boreal Forests and the Arctic. Threats to habitat in Alaska comprise climate change, energy development, forest management practices, and coastal development.

Arctic Habitat

Millions of birds pass through the Arctic on their global migrations and 85 species nest in the region each summer. Adequate basic research is missing on some species and their true condition is little more than a guess. The combination of climate change and effects of energy exploration have an effect on Arctic bird populations. Resource managers need to consider these impacts in planning decisions. Some 38% of the species found in the Arctic and Alpine regions have conservation concerns. There are three species present that are listed as threatened or endangered. These are the Eskimo curlew, Spectacled eider and Steller’s eider.

Boreal Forest Habitat

Composed of spruce, birch, peat bogs and wetlands, the boreal forest of North America stretches from the Alaskan Arctic across Canada. Millions of acres of the boreal forest remain undisturbed and the ecoregion is seen as an important global carbon sink. Species of concern include the Whooping crane, Solitary sandpiper, Harris’s sparrow, Pine siskin, and Blackpoll warbler. Forest management practices and urban growth impact the resident bird populations

Coastal Habitat

Alaska has the most coastline of any state in the union. The coast supports at least 170 bird species nationwide. Coastal development and use of the waterfront has a tremendous effect on the health of bird populations. Housing demands, pollution from stormwater runoff, and climate change are among the factors that damage bird habitat. Some 53 bird species have conservation concerns and 14 are considered threatened or endangered. Species of interest in Alaska are the Spectacled and Steller’s eiders, and Marbled murrelet.

Management Solutions – There are many potential solutions available to better support bird populations. Many are inexpensive or only request some forethought in development plans.

• Seriously consider steps necessary to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gasses
• Avoid key breeding and staging areas used by birds during energy development
• Fund research into Alaska’s bird populations to better monitor bird populations
• Develop incentives to encourage more holistic coastal management regimes
• Encourage the practice of sustainable fishing

Birds Can Respond Quickly to Conservation Efforts

The State of Birds report isn’t strictly negative in its message. Study partners point out that birds do respond quickly to positive changes made in their habitats. Species like pelicans and herons have rebounded with enhancement of available habitats.

Director of Conservation Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Kenneth Rosenberg says, “These results emphasize that investment in wetlands conservation has paid huge dividends. Now we need to invest similarly in other neglected habitats where birds are undergoing the steepest declines.”

A comprehensive website has been published on the State of the Birds report and offers more detail by project partners on the effort.

Copyright © 2009 by Alan Sorum