Yes, the American bird population is in decline

NEWS CENTER MAINE • October 25, 2023

Yes, the U.S. bird population is declining, and largely because of humans. The bird population in the U.S. has been in decline since the 1970s, according to reports by major conservation organizations from the last 14 years. Researchers attribute the decline to human-related factors such as habitat destruction, pesticides, climate change and even hunting by domesticated cats. The most recent report from the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) Committee, a coalition of government agencies, private organizations and bird initiatives, in 2022, concluded there are 3 billion fewer birds in the U.S. and Canada than there were 50 years ago.