Grassland birds

The Black-tailed Godwit was once a common sight in Dutch meadows. The bird used to flourish in the peat soil habitats in the western part of the Netherlands. Invertebrates profited from enrichment of the soil with manure and fertilisers and earthworms (Lumbricidae), leatherjackets (Tipulidae), snails and other species were abundant. The combination of abundant food, at least for adult birds, and the soft peat soil (which is easily penetrated by the long bill of the Black-tailed Godwit) made the western part of the Netherlands a prime breeding habitat for the Black-tailed Godwit.

Large parts of Ireland's environment is in a worse state today than 20 years ago, a major report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says. Bird species, including the corncrake and the curlew, are almost extinct. There has been a "dramatic reduction" in the number of pristine rivers with high water quality. Report co-editor Dr Jonathan Dernham said there was a need for integrated policies to protect the environment.

Feldlerche, Kiebitz und Rebhuhn haben es schwer in Thüringen. In vielen Regionen seien sie auf dem Rückzug oder bereits verschwunden, sagt der Vogelexperte des Nabu Thüringen, Klaus Lieder. Hauptgründe seien schwindende Nahrungsangebote und Möglichkeiten zum Verstecken – bedingt durch die intensive Landwirtschaft und den Einsatz von Pestiziden. Landwirte würden gern mehr Rückzugsmöglichkeiten durch Brachflächen oder Randstreifen schaffen, doch die bürokratischen Hürden seien zu hoch, hält Stefan Blöttner vom Thüringer Bauernverband gegen.

The Curlew (Numenius arquata) is a bird in crisis. Since 2007 they have been red-listed by the IUCN due to their small and declining breeding population. There has been widespread declines all across Europe but it’s the populations in Ireland that are worst hit. Estimates put the decline of native breeding pairs to 86% over the last 25 years. There are only a few hundred breeding pairs left in the country. The Curlew is the largest of the European wading birds.

„Mit der neuen Roten Liste der Vögel ist eine umfassende Bestandsaufnahme über den Zustand der hessischen Vogelwelt erfolgt. Das ist wichtige Grundlage, um darauf aufbauend Maßnahmen zu ihrem Schutz ergreifen zu können“, sagte Umweltstaatssekretärin Dr. Beatrix Tappeser anlässlich der Veröffentlichung der neuen Roten Liste der bestandsgefährdeten Brutvogelarten Hessens, die vom Umweltministerium herausgegeben wird.

With a crown of stiff gold-coloured feathers on its head, a bright red gular sac and body made of gray, brown, gold and white patches, the grey crowned crane stands out for its striking features. Commonly called the crested crane (Balearica regulorum), it is a bird of national significance to Uganda, occupying a prime position on the country's national flag and coat of arms. Yet despite its serenity, beauty and popularity, the crested crane is facing the threat of extinction.

Throughout North America, many species of aerial insectivorous birds have exhibited steep declines. The timing of these declines coincides with changes in agriculture, perhaps signaling a causal link. Increased agrochemical use, wetland drainage, and cropping intensity may indirectly influence insectivores by reducing the abundance of insect prey. Our objective was to determine whether changes in insect abundance and biomass on agricultural landscapes in the Canadian Prairies influence the foraging behaviour of breeding Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)).

North America has more than a billion fewer birds than it did 40 years ago, with the snowy owl and the chimney swift just two of the better-known species in dramatic decline across the continent, a recent survey has found. The total number of continental landbirds stands at about 10 billion, down from about 11.5 billion in 1970. The study’s authors – a range of academic, activist and government bodies in Canada and the United States – list 86 of North America’s roughly 450 breeding species as vulnerable, with some populations expected to be halved in a matter of decades.

Attached is a PDF slideshow, of the Keynote/ Powerpoint the British environmentalist and beekeeper Graham White presented in California to the American Beekeepers Federation in 2014. He also gave the same slideshow and talk to the directors of the Sierra Club - the most influential environmental NGO in the USA. This was presented as a Webcast from the Pesticide Research Institute in Berkeley to several hundred beekeepers who logged in to their website from all over the States.
Youtube:

A new analysis of the population status and trends of all landbirds in the continental U.S. and Canada documents widespread declines among 448 bird species — a troubling indicator of the health of these species and their ecosystems. According to the new Partners in Flight Landbird Conservation Plan, released August 15, nearly 20 percent of U.S. and Canadian landbird species are on a path toward endangerment and extinction in the absence of conservation action. Partners in Flight is a network of more than 150 partnering organizations throughout the Western Hemisphere.