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TODAY Monday 19 May 1997 Each weekday. Conn Nugent on what's new in the world, on the site. |
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TODAY Monday 19 May 1997 Each weekday. Conn Nugent on what's new in the world, on the site. |
TODAY IN THE WORLD: Migratory Songbirds
Even someone whose ability to identify birds is limited to species used as athletic mascots can appreciate the astonishing varieties of bird life that he can't begin to distinguish. It can be the soul of satisfaction to walk through a forest and hear scores of familiar but unrecognizable songs, just as one can love trees without finer distinctions than maple, birch, and I-think-it's-a-sycamore.
And every environmentalist loves the people -- the birders -- who do in fact know the difference between a thrush and a plover, and who rise early for the pleasure of just looking at these creatures so remote from our mammalian relatives. Many of us will let decades pass between our own birdwatching expeditions, but we're glad for, and attached to, those people who are daily and passionate about it. When the National Audubon Society dropped the heron from its logo a few years back, it wasn't just the birders who thought the change cheesy and amnesiac. The big bird is back now because most NAS members and most enviros in general believe that birds do an excellent job of symbolizing a natural world that's worth saving on its terms.
So when last week's mail brought the most recent edition of the excellent magazine Consequences, it was not a total surprise that one of the two big articles was entitled "The Case of the Missing Songbirds." Like a lot of people, I had a vague acquaintance with the notion that the numbers of migratory birds were in decline, and that the problem lay primarily in degradation of their habitat in Latin America, a point touched on by Seth Zuckerman in his article about coffee on this Website. I settled in for the 14-page Consequences treatment, confident that by the time I finished I would have the lowdown.
I mention all this because the article exceeded my expectations. For comprehensiveness, clarity, judiciousness, and lucidity of tone -- not to mention heaps of information -- Scott K. Robinson's article stands as a model of environmental science writing. He provides a handy one-page overview immediately before the body of the article itself, so there's not much reason for me to go on here except force of habit.
It turns out that not all birds are in decline; many are flourishing. Nor are all migratory songbirds in danger; some of them have stable or increasing populations. In general, there are many species that do well by human intervention so long as that intervention doesn't completely pave over everything. This is the golden age for the Blue Jay and other species who thrive along the edges between trees and backyards, in small woodlands amidst farmfields, or in urban parks.
But these are bad times for birds who need large, extensive forest or grassland habitats or very precise conditions for their migratory stopovers. Over the past 25 years, the Wood Thrush population is down 48%, Brewer's Sparrow is down 66%, the Golden-winged Warbler down 47%.
Sometimes the problem can indeed be attributed to land-use changes in Latin America, particularly the loss of forest to agriculture. But, on balance, Dr. Robinson says, a bigger influence may be changes in summer habitat in North America, particularly those that create many islands of natural landscape rather than one continguous ecosystem. The spread of suburbs and second homes are key. Also important, it turns out, is beachfront development. The human populations along the American coastlines are growing dramatically, often right next to, or on top off, critical stopovers for migratory birds. This is particularly true for species who cross the Gulf of Mexico and find that the old rest stop on the Florida panhandle has become a condo-and-marina development.
And so on. Dr. Robinson adds interesting detail upon interesting detail, but basically his is a story in which nature is being depleted unevenly and for scores of reasons, few of which have to do with bad intentions or toxic discharges. We humans, ever-growing and ever-wanting, are just going about our business of growing food, building shelter, and finding a pleasant little seaside time-share for the spouse and kids. Dr. Robinson makes some smart suggestions as to how to accommodate our needs to the needs of the depleted migratory species, and no one deserves more attention.
TODAY ON THE SITE
Fred Hapgood's Test is tricky. According to categories and thorough criteria (established by his authoritative self) he's trying to solicit answers that can tell you just what kind of environmentalist you are. Take Fred's test, and if you're up to it, let us know how you "scored."
5/16: Fat, Fat, Fat
5/15: Our Forthright Administration
5/14: Coral Reefs of the Sahara
5/13: (Life Before) Death and Taxes
5/12: Kids
5/09: Free Trade and Hormones
5/08: Sherry Boehlert, Republican
5/07: Fort Davis, West Texas
5/06: Europe (yawn)
5/05: Divorce, Mothers, Equality
5/02: Killer Grannies and the Highway Bill
5/01: China
4/30: Pity the Mangrove
4/29: Grizzlies off Battery Park
4/28: Mighty Monsanto
4/25: Growth
4/24: Refrigerator Wars
4/23: The Day the Earth Day Stood Still
4/22: Doorman Ecology
4/21: Toyota Steps Out
4/18: Victims of Extremism
4/17: Our White Guy Problem
4/16: Coca-Cola and the Merrit Parkway