By SINDYA N. BHANOO
May 12, 2010, 5:50 pm A new survey has found that 148 land bird species in North America are facing rapid decline, the majority of them in Mexico. The assessment, the first ever to include all three countries, reveals information about populations and migratory patterns and is is intended as a tool for conservationists. It was released Tuesday by Partners in Flight, a cooperative of government agencies, conservation groups, academics and philanthropists. The study has detailed information on the 882 species of land birds that live across the continent. One-third of them spend substantial amounts of time in at least two of the countries, it found. “Birds don’t know boundaries,” said Ashley Dayer, one of the managing editors of the report and a doctoral student at Cornell University, focusing on bird conservation. Species that live in the United States often winter in Mexico or breed in Canada, she said. The imperiled birds include 124 species that are mostly found in Mexico like the thick-billed parrot, the horned guan and the resplendent quetzal, a green, red and white bird with long tail feathers that feeds on avocados. The study also identified 24 species from the United States and Canada as imperiled, including the cerulean warbler, the black swift and the Canada warbler. …
Mapping Birds Without Boundaries
