A global report on the state of the world’s birds has implications for Wisconsin, say state conservation organizations.

The report, issued by the organization BirdLife International,  (birdlife.org), details the decline of global bird populations. As the official International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List Authority for birds, BirdLife says its 2008 assessment of all the world's birds reveals that more than 1,226 bird species (12.4 percent, or one in eight) are considered threatened with extinction.

"Overall, larger-bodied species and those with low reproductive rates (owing to small clutch sizes) are more likely to be threatened. Although extinction is a natural process, current and projected extinction rates are estimated to be 1,000 to 10,000 times the natural background rate," the report says.

In 2002, a number of world governments made a commitment to achieve a significant halt to the decline of biodiversity by 2010. Two years away from this deadline, BirdLife is studying what birds tell us about the current chances of achieving this ambitious goal.

The messages are mixed, BirdLife’s website states. “We know much more about the state of biodiversity. And the world has become more aware of the environmental challenges that we face, particularly in the light of climate change. Despite this, our data show that the state of the world’s biodiversity, as reflected by its 9,856 living bird species, continues to get worse.”

In Wisconsin, a coalition of conservation groups are looking at the decline of global bird populations as an environmental barometer for the health of the planet at large. The National Resources Foundation, the Madison Audubon Society and the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative are responding to the report by working to raise awareness of the value and vulnerability of Wisconsin’s birds.

“In Wisconsin,” said Charlie Luthin, the executive director of the Natural Resources Foundation in Madison, “our wetlands, lakes and rivers—and our unique geography between the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes—make Wisconsin a globally important place for breeding, feeding and migrating birds. Unfortunately, loss of habitat, pollution and global warming all threaten the birds that enhance our quality of life.”

Andy Paulios, coordinator of the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative based in Madison, echoed this theme. “Bird monitoring helps us understand what’s happening to our forests, grasslands and wetlands in Wisconsin. Since Wisconsin’s birds migrate to and from ecosystems from South America to the arctic, the health of bird populations here also gives us an indication of what’s going on in other places, like Alaska and Peru.”

“Grassland birds as a group are undergoing drastic declines,” said Karen Etter Hale, the executive secretary of Madison Audubon Society. “Some species, like the Greater Prairie Chicken, Western Meadowlark and Henslow’s Sparrow have declined by more than 90 percent in the last century. Many birds of the open oak woodlands, like the whip-poor-will and red-headed woodpecker that used to be common in Wisconsin are now a rare sight in many areas.” She added, “Loss of bird habitat isn’t just bad for birds, it also impacts the quality of our water, air and communities.”

The Northwoods and its birds

Paulios works statewide for his organization but is able to give a Northwoods perspective to the bird report because of time he spends at his cabin in Vilas County.

He says the decline of bird habitat elsewhere has ramifications for the birds we see here. “The migratory birds spend most of their winters far south of our state,” he said. “For example, the scarlet tanager that you may see in your yard on an early May morning could have spent the winter in Panama.” For the ones who do make it, "northern Wisconsin provides excellent habitat for nesting, and for a larger number of birds stopping here on their way to and from the boreal forest and arctic.”

Many of our familiar backyard birds, Paulios says, are thriving. "In general," he notes, "forest birds are doing well in northern Wisconsin because the forests have increased in extent and recovered from the cutover period and large fires.

“Most species that are dependent on confiers,” he continued, “such as the red-breasted nuthatch or the pine warbler, have increased in numbers the last 40 years, along with many other forest birds that like older, diverse forests.”

Game birds such as turkey, Paulios points out, “have recovered quite well from being extpirpated in the 1900s. In fact, we’ve been so successful with turkeys that they’re living further north than they probably ever did.”

Ruffed grouse are still numerous, Paulios says, “but not as numerous as they were when much more of the northern forest was in a younger, shrubbier state.”

Vital habitat

While northern Wisconsin is fortunate to have large blocks of intact forests and wetlands that provide a wide variety of nesting and migratory species, Paulios says, “the forests are changing as more people move to the north and management practices have changed over time. As we build more cabins and homes, one of the most developed habitats are lakeshores."

Lakeshore owners can help migratory and resident birds that utilize the lakeshores by planting native shrubs and trees, and restoring the lakeshores to natural habitat, he says. “These areas are very important nesting sites for common loons and act as stopover areas for migrant headed further north, and breeding areas for warblers and other long-distance migrants."

Property owners of forested areas, Paulios said, “can help their birds by managing their property to provide that diverse forest stand with its good mix of conifers and deciduous trees that is so important to birds.” Consulting a biologist and a forester helps. Property owners of smaller tracts can do their bit by replanting their yards to native trees and shrubs, and make sure to put netting or shades over windows to prevent birds from flying into the windows.

Paulios points to local organizations such as the Northwoods Discovery Center. “Consider joining a local organization dedicated to bird conservation,” he urges. Another way to help is by contributing to the statewide organization Bird Protection Fund, to support its efforts to protect habitat for migratory birds and to fund research. For more information, go to wisconservation.org.