Wetlands Are For The Birds

Longbilled Curlew in Wetland Preserve

One of the first signs of spring is the return of countless species of migratory birds. But populations of these birds have been declining for many years. Why?

Explanations abound, but at the top of nearly everybody's list is habitat loss.

Scientists point to wetland habitats in particular. Wetlands include marshes, swamps, and even seasonal ponds that dry up by mid-summer. Many birds rely on wetlands as sources of food and water and as places to breed and raise their young.

More than half of the original wetlands in the U.S. have been replaced by farmland, shopping malls, and housing developments. The Audubon Society says that wetland loss brought about the decline of many threatened and endangered species, like the whooping crane and piping plover.

Fortunately, you can help conserve our wetlands and the migratory birds that they sustain. Your support for local and national wetland conservation can help protect these heralds of spring.

Script by Jenny Cutraro

Copyright 2006, Catalina Island Conservancy

Discovery Links

To learn more about today’s topic, please explore the links below:

• ActionBioscience.org
• Audobon State of the Birds Report
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wetlands Protection Information