Woodland birds

A billion birds have disappeared from North America since 1970, and a third of bird species across the continent are threatened with extinction, a new report says. The first State of North America's Birds report finds that of 1,154 bird species that live in and migrate among Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, 432 are of "high concern" due to low or declining populations, shrinking ranges and threats.

Publication of the BC Breeding Bird Atlas is raising alarms about the decline of several species across the province. The atlas is one of the largest citizen-science initiatives in B.C. history. More than 1,300 volunteers contributed some 60,000 hours of their time over eight years to document the status of birds. A sampling includes:

Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

The effects on biodiversity are appalling. The State of Nature report published in 2013 by leading conservation NGOs found that populations of 60% of all UK species have declined in recent decades. Since 1995 the turtle dove has declined by 96%; the willow tit by 82%; and the starling by 53%. The wood warbler, yellow wagtail, grey partridge, lapwing, snipe and corn bunting have all decreased noticeably.

The Australian Government has listed the iconic Tasmanian swift parrot (Lathamus discolor) as critically endangered, lifting its status from endangered, following research by The Australian National University (ANU). Dr Dejan Stojanovic from the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society is part of a team that published the 2015 research which found the swift parrot could be extinct in as little as 16 years. He welcomed the reclassification, which he said should provide greater protection for Tasmanian bird.

The analysis of 616 papers about the diet of the European Barn Owl Tyto alba showed that 9678 invertebrates were captured out of 3.13 million prey items (0.31%). The consumption of invertebrates strongly decreased between 1860 and 2012. The present study demonstrates that the diet of a predator changed to a large extent during the last 150 years probably due to the negative impact of human activities on biodiversity. Bats and birds are less often captured nowadays than in the past.

Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) numbers in Ireland are continuing to decline, according to the results of a new survey. The number of breeding pairs has also declined even within special areas of conservation set up to protect the bird. The 2015 survey showed there are between 108 and 157 breeding pairs across Ireland, down by 8.7 per cent since the 2010 survey, the research team said.

Der Distelfink (Carduelis carduelis) steht für vielfältige und farbenfrohe Landschaften. Leider gibt es in Deutschland immer weniger davon. Nach Angaben des Dachverbands deutscher Avifaunisten (Vogelkundler) auf der Internet-Seite des Nabu-Bundesverbands ist die Zahl dieser Vögel in Deutschland von 1990 bis 2013 um 48 Prozent gesunken. Offizielle Schätzungen gehen derzeit von 305 000 bis 520 000 Brutpaaren deutschlandweit aus. „Im Winter sieht man an Odenwälder Futterplätzen zwischen 70 und 80 Stück“, erklärt die Beisitzerin des Nabu-Kreisverbands, Petra Kaffenberger, auf ECHO-Nachfrage.

Canberra's iconic scarlet robin (Petroica boodang) is at risk of extinction if action is not taken. The tiny insect-feeding, shrub-dwelling bird was listed as vulnerable in the ACT last year. But Dr Annie Lane, ACT conservator for flora and fauna, said the population had continued to decline. "It's a steady decline and if we don't arrest that decline, in 30 years we may not be seeing that species any longer," she told ABC Canberra.

Nur noch zwischen zwei und 20 nistende Brutpaare der Blauracken konnten in den vergangenen drei Jahrzehnten pro Saison in der Steiermark gezählt werden. Das Siedlungsareal bei Stainz zwischen Bad Gleichenberg und Bad Radkersburg im Grenzgebiet zu Slowenien ist der kümmerliche Rest eines einst viel größeren Verbreitungsgebietes der Rackenvögel auf österreichischem Boden. Um 1880 waren die Blauracken nicht nur in der gesamten Süd- und Oststeiermark heimisch, sondern siedelten auch im Kärntner Drautal, fast im gesamten Burgenland und im südlichen Niederösterreich bis Wien. Während Anfang der 1950er-Jahre noch rund 270 Brutpaare in der Steiermark nisteten, nahm ihre Zahl vor allem in den 1970er-Jahren dramatisch ab. Nur wo halbwegs extensive Landwirtschaft betrieben wird, haben sie eine Chance zu überleben. Wegen der Reduzierung der Viehwirtschaft wurden früher Wiesen durch Maismonokulturen ersetzt, und kleinparzellige Ackerflächen verschwanden. Die Blauracken benötigen jedoch diese Habitate für ihre Ansitzjagd auf große Insekten wie Maulwurfsgrillen und Heuschrecken.