NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC • September 22, 2021
Reduced human activity in spring 2020, following the outbreak of COVID-19, led to considerable changes in migratory patterns and habitat use for birds across the United States and Canada. In general, many birds seemed to have benefited from these lockdowns, spending more time within and around urban areas. But shutdowns and large-scale exclusions of humans from the landscape are not sustainable solutions for the extinction crisis we are inflicting on the planet. Amber Roth, an assistant professor at UMaine who researches conservation solutions, says that while it was lovely to spot a yellow warbler on campus during the 2020 lockdowns, “the noise and hustle and bustle of people in cities may warn away birds from risky situations that may put their lives at risk.”