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David Curson
Audubon Maryland-DC
410-588-BIRD
dcurson@audubon.org

“These are not rare or endangered species we’re talking about—these are the familiar birds that you would typically expect to see on a day out in the Maryland countryside, yet they are disappearing day by day,” said Audubon Maryland-DC’s Director of Bird Conservation, Dr David Curson. “Their decline tells us we have serious work to do, from protecting local habitats to addressing the huge threats from global warming.”

The national study found that populations of some common birds nosedived over the past forty years, with several down more than 80 percent across America. The dramatic national declines are attributed to the loss of grasslands, healthy forests and wetlands, and other critical habitats from multiple environmental threats such as sprawl, energy development, and the spread of industrialized agriculture. The study notes that these threats are now compounded by new and broader problems including the escalating effects of global warming and demand for corn-based ethanol.

In Maryland and the District of Columbia declines are even more severe than at the national level, because of the region’s particularly rapid rate of land development. Grasshopper Sparrow, Northern Bobwhite and Eastern Meadowlark topped the list, with declines of between 91 percent and 87 percent.

“Here at home, the biggest culprit is loss of habitat due to development and management of existing habitat in ways that do not benefit birds” says Rick Leader, Executive Director of the Maryland and District of Columbia Audubon’s state office. “We already know that habitat loss is the foremost factor adversely effecting the health of the Chesapeake Bay. This study shows how birds can be useful indicators of the overall ecological health of the Bay and its watershed.” In Maryland, development pressure is intense as urban sprawl expands within the Baltimore-Washington corridor, across the Eastern Shore and in other areas. According to an economic study being conducted by the University of Maryland, it is projected that 5,900 farm acres will be lost to development each year over the next 10 years.

Bird species especially hard hit in Maryland and DC include:

• Northern Bobwhite populations are down 87 percent and have largely vanished from most of Maryland, due mainly to loss of suitable habitat to development and agricultural intensification. Bobwhites remain widespread only on the mid and lower Eastern Shore but at much reduced population densities. E
• Eastern Meadowlarks inhabit grasslands such as meadows and pastures, and their 87 percent decline reflects not only habitat loss to development but also the conversion of grasslands to row crops and the earlier and more frequent mowing of remaining meadows. With the recent push for biofuels such as ethanol, there is a real danger that many acres that have been in the Conservation Reserve Program will be converted from the Eastern Meadowlarks’ grassland habitat to cornfields for ethanol production.
• Whip-poor-will populations have declined 73 percent due to habitat loss and also the fragmentation by roads and other development of remaining habitat into patches too small to support this nocturnal ground-nesting species. Whip-poor-wills nest in forests with natural openings and edges and are now confined to larger, intact forest patches such as Green Ridge State Forest in Allegany County and the Patuxent Research Refuge in Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties.
• Field Sparrows require early successional habitats where grasslands are colonized by scattered trees. This species benefits in the first few years after farmland is abandoned but as these areas become developed, the sparrows disappear. Field Sparrows declined by 81 percent in Maryland and DC during the survey period.
• Grasshopper Sparrows showed the sharpest declines of all, with a drop of 91 percent. Once numerous in grasslands across the region this species has succumbed to land development, conversion of meadows and pastures to row crops and earlier mowing of meadows, which now takes place before the young birds have fledged.

Audubon's Common Birds in Decline list stems from the first-ever analysis combining annual sighting data from Audubon's century-old Christmas Bird Count program with results of the annual Breeding Bird Survey conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey. "This is a powerful example of how tens of thousands of volunteer birders, pooling their observations, can make an enormous difference for the creatures they care the most about," said noted natural history writer Scott Weidensaul. "Thanks to their efforts, we have the information. Now all of us – from birders to policy makers – need to take action to keep these species from declining even further."

Public response will shape the long-term outlook for Maryland and DC’s Common Birds in Decline. “Fortunately, what individual people do can still make a difference,” says Dave Curson, Director of Bird Conservation. Audubon Maryland-DC encourages people to support and promote strong conservation provisions in the federal Farm Bill and Conservation Reserve Program which help to provide millions of acres of vital habitat for grassland birds. Large-tract landowners are encouraged to maximize the width of field buffers and plant native warm season grass species.

More information about Audubon’s Common Birds in Decline analysis is available at www.audubon.org. For more information on what Audubon is doing in Maryland and DC, visit www.audubonmddc.org

Now in its second century, Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in conservation.

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