CITIZENS’ CLIMATE EDUCATION: Flight for Survival — Take Action for Birds in a Changing Climate

Birds fill our skies with color and song, and for more than a century they have inspired citizen science projects and scientific research. Yet, since the 1970s, North America’s total bird population has declined by almost a third, by nearly three billion breeding birds, and their numbers continue to decline. These are our everyday companions — finches, sparrows and swallows — those that pollinate plants, disperse seeds, control insects and signal the health of our ecosystems. Think of the canary in the coal mine.

Climate change is accelerating their decline. More frequent and intense storms, floods, fires and heat waves destroy nesting grounds and food sources. Some birds are adapting by shrinking in body size or shifting their migration timing, but many are struggling to keep up. As the planet warms, breeding grounds must move, coastal and island nests wash away, wetland habitats dry up, and delicate food cycles fall out of sync.

But there is hope, and power, in what we do today. We can make a difference:

• Protect nature: Support and vote for climate-smart policies, land conservation and habitat restoration. American Bird Conservancy (ABC), National and California Audubon Societies and The Cornell Lab of Ornithology are examples of influential groups that monitor legislation and offer action alerts to easily contact your representative.

• Create habitat: Provide clean water sources and plant native vegetation patches and containers in your yard or balcony. Calscape offers excellent native garden design.

• Keep birds safe: Keep cats indoors or in catios, apply bird-safe window treatments and avoid pesticides. ABC, Acopian Bird Savers and Birds Be Safe offer solutions.

Every garden, every choice, every voice matters. Let’s help birds survive their greatest fight — the fight against climate change — to ensure their songs continue to greet every new dawn.

Dawn Garcia is a biologist with a deep commitment to birds and the ecosystems that sustain them. She is concerned about the impact of climate change on birds and wildlife. As the author of Picket Fence Media’s frequent “For the Birds” column, she encourages community members to support and protect local wildlife. SC