Scientists detect decline in bird population in the Bay Area: Here’s what can be done

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — There’s a concerning trend about birds in the Bay Area. Experts are sounding the alarm about a decline in bird population.

“We are often using a scope. Which allows us to see birds that are far away,” said Julian Wood, SF Bay Program Leader at Point Blue Conservation Science. “When I’m doing the tidal marsh surveys, I’m often using binoculars since I’m walking around in the mash. A lot of those surveys are done by ear I can hear birds calling and singing and identify what species they are.”

To understand the state and health of birds across the Bay Area, scientists have been watching them closely. The latest report by the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture and Point Blue Conservation Science points to a concerning decline of shorebirds over the last two decades.

“I was shocked. The declines range from 25% to 86% for some of these birds since 2006,” said Wood.

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For almost a year, scientists monitored about 20 different bird species, five in different habitat groups and had over 100 volunteers involved. The last time they published a report like this one was in 2011.

This new review is trying to “raise awareness about what the needs are for some of those species and how to reverse those declines,” said Wood.

Glenn Phillips, Executive Director of the Golden Gate Bird Alliance, explains what could be contributing to the decline.

“Either they are not successfully reproducing, so they are not raising as many young as they used to or they are dying young and they are not being able to survive, and we think it’s a combination or all of those things. For some species is more one or the other,” said Phillips.

The report also highlights what is working in the Bay.

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“There are some nice signs. It’s not that every species is declining. So, it shows that our conservation actions can help birds so there are some species that are doing better than they were a decade ago,” said Phillips.

Scientists are pointing to the MLK marsh as an example of marshes that have been restored in the Bay Area and are making a difference in helping some species stay here and increase in numbers.

Wood is hoping their findings lead to more investments in restorations.

“We are hoping people can celebrate the success of restoration in the Bay and see that progress that we have made towards boosting some of these species bird population, and hoping that people are aware of the decline of some of these species,” said Wood.

Access to the full report here.