The article “Where have the wild birds gone? 3 billion fewer than 1970” (Sept. 19, TribLIVE) should have grabbed everyone’s attention. I noticed a decline in the bird population many years ago. About 70 years ago, when I was just a kid, I used to see and hear the bobwhites and whip-poor-wills in the evening. I have not seen or heard either for over 50 years. Diminishing, too, are the catbird, mockingbird, sparrow and bluebird; even the common crow is in decline. The only birds I have seen an increase in are hawks. This may be one of the reasons for the decline in the songbird population. Hawks search for bird eggs and eat small birds.
But the main reason for the decline in the bird population is loss of habitat. We’ve got housing and industrial developments and highways destroying what was once a haven for wildlife of all kinds.
Let’s face it: With over 8 billion people on this planet, it is crowded. With the climate change going on, we humans may be the next to go into decline.
Melan Junik
West Deer