What is the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Doing to Reduce Mortality?
One of the goals of the Fish and Wildlife Service is to collaborate with others in order to conserve natural resources. One of the best examples of how multi-organization collaborative partnerships can result in conservation success is the numerous successful bird conservation initiatives that the Service is involved in with partners.
Furthermore, the Fish and Wildlife Service offers guidance and support to the public and industry in order to design projects that lessen the negative effects on birds and their habitats. The Service offers voluntary guidelines, best practice recommendations, information, and resources for developers conducting environmental reviews in an effort to create projects that are bird-friendly, among other resources that it is continuously enhancing. With the help of this information, the public is better able to comprehend the possible effects of different activities and receive advice on how to reduce or eliminate those effects. Furthermore, web-based applications are being developed to facilitate decision-making related to bird conservation by providing biologists, developers, and other relevant parties with easier and more convenient access to bird data, project planning information, and other decision support tools. Finally, the Migratory Bird Program provides industry and partners with training to help them understand their legal obligations, know where to find the knowledge and resources necessary for effective bird conservation, and comprehend the advantages of partnerships and how to more actively seize partnership opportunities.
How Many Birds are Killed?
True estimates of mortality are difficult to determine. Nonetheless, recent research has combined the best available information to estimate the ranges of mortality to North American bird populations from some of the most prevalent human-caused causes of bird mortality. These are listed in the table below. This list addresses only human-caused sources, not natural sources. There are numerous other human-caused threats to birds that are not included on this list because it is difficult or impossible to determine how much of an impact they have, either directly (causing injury or death right away) or indirectly (causing health problems or productivity over time). For example, habitat loss is considered to be the biggest threat to birds, both directly and indirectly, though it is very difficult to determine the exact impact of habitat loss on bird populations overall. Various entanglement and entrapment threats, as well as other common human-caused and natural threats to birds, are known, but are not included below. g. , exposed pipes and nets); predation by animals other than cats, such as people (e g. , poaching); weather events; starvation; and disease.
Top Threats to Birds (U.S. only. Ordered by Median Estimate of Bird Mortality Annually. As of 2017.)
| Hazard/Type | Min Range | Max Range | Median/Avg. Estimated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat Loss/Conversion | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Collision – Building Glass Loss et al. 2014a | 365,000,000 | 988,000,000 | 599,000,000 |
| Collisions – Communication towers Longcore et al. 2012 | 6,600,000 | ||
| Collisions – Electrical lines Loss et al. 2014c | 8,000,000 | 57,300,000 | 25,500,000 |
| Collision – Vehicles Loss et al. 2014b | 89,000,000 | 340,000,000 | 214,500,000 |
| Collisions – Land-based Wind Turbines Loss et al. 2013b | 140,438 | 327,586 | 234,012 |
| Collisions – Offshore Wind Turbines | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Collisions – Solar Panels | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Electrocutions Loss et al. 2014c | 900,000 | 11,600,000 | 5,600,000 |
| Burning -Solar Towers | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Poison | 72,000,000 | ||
| Cats Loss et al. 2013a | 1,400,000,000 | 3,700,000,000 | 2,400,000,000 |
| Oil Pits Trail 2006 | 500,000 | 1,000,000 | 750,000 |
| All | 1,863,540,438 | 4,758,227,586 | 3,324,184,012 |
| All (excluding cats) | 463,540,438 | 1,058,227,586 | 924,184,012 |
| Industry only (excludes cats and vehicles) | 374,540,438 | 718,227,586 | 709,684,012 |
FAQ
How many birds are currently endangered?
What is the #1 bird threat?