The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer.
I recently traveled with a Tucson Audubon Society group to see mountain birds at 8,000 feet that I can’t see at my home on the desert floor. I had never before watched a flock of 20 Western bluebirds moving as a wave from one tall fir tree to another, and thirty chattering bushtits high above a dirt road, passing in single file like schoolchildren following a teacher to the playground. I’ll never forget those experiences, but my backyard also provides avian delights every day. My neighbors talk about the vibrant hummingbirds that grace their yards, the owls that nest in their trees and the silly mourning doves who build flimsy nests but somehow succeed in raising young every year. Birds are part of our neighborhood life, and our quality of life.
It would be a mistake to take Arizona birds of the mountains and deserts for granted. Like many nature watchers, I have noticed a decline in the number and variety of birds in our area over the 23 years I’ve lived here. Last fall, new scientific studies validated my perceptions. A report in the academic journal Science announced that there are nearly 3 billion fewer total birds in North America than there were in the 1970s, a loss of nearly 30%.
This astounding news warrants serious consideration. In our not-so-distant history, public outcries succeeded in stopping the hunting of some species of birds to extinction and the mass poisoning of others. Although we tend to notice the complete disappearance of entire species, such as the passenger pigeon and the Carolina parakeet, the slow loss of birds and other wildlife has been overlooked, until now. The warming and drying of our landscapes and the loss of habitat here and along migratory routes is taking its toll.
Two-thirds of North American bird species are at risk of extinction from climate change impacts, a massive study released by the National Audubon Society in 2019 has shown. Unless we take major action to reduce carbon emissions, nearly half of our Arizona mountain and valley species may succumb.
Tucson is the third fastest warming U.S. city, and Arizona is the third fastest warming state. The consequences for humans and wildlife are serious indeed. Birds and people have similar needs — sources of food and water and safe places to live. Human populations are also threatened by drought, more severe weather, and shifts in land use. It’s up to us to heed the message. The good news is that we can take actions that benefit birds, wildlife and people.
The key steps we can take as individuals are:
• Learn as much as we can about the challenges we face. Water conservation and better regulation of groundwater pumping across our state are essential issues now.
•Take a stand. Talk to our families, friends and neighbors, call our legislators, write to decision makers and get involved with conservation organizations to effect change at a higher level.
• Restore habitat in backyard and common areas, and support organizations that restore important natural areas on a larger scale throughout our region.
• Build a safer world for birds — bird-proof windows, keep cats indoors to prevent bird kills, reduce pesticide use and carbon output.
Fascinating landscapes and abundant birds and wildlife inspired many of us to make our homes in southeast Arizona, and we counted on stable water resources as well. It’s up to us to protect what we value.
