Why Are Birds Dying?

With Birds Dying In Record Numbers...
What's The Cause?

By Richard Worden

Recently, there's been a significant decline in the bird population, especially soaring ones. Some have mysteriously dropped dead, and others have just gone missing in North America and globally. So why are birds dying?

Birds are dying because of a substantial loss of their natural habitat. As a result, their food sources have become scarce, and the predation risk has increased, culminating in their death. Moreover, many birds drop dead from fatal illnesses, especially during an epidemic like bird flu.

There are other reasons for recent bird mortality as determined by ornithologists, and I'll discuss them in this article. You'll also learn possible ways to save the avian world before some species go extinct.

Reasons Why Birds Are Dying

Birds' sudden and massive mortality worldwide has been a cause of concern among wildlife experts.

Many colonies of the United Kingdom have reported dead seabirds along coasts. Nearly six states and Washington, D.C. in the United States recorded a spike in the avian death toll around mid-2021. In Mexico, yellow-headed blackbirds have died without apparent cause in a bizzare instance where they appeared to simply fall from the sky. 

At this rate, the extinction of already endangered species is definitely on the horizon. Although there's still no concrete, general cause behind the events, here are some possible ones from various studies and analyses:

Degradation & Loss of Natural Habitat

The loss & fragmentation of birds' habitats is one of the leading causes of their higher death toll.

According to a 2017 BirdLife study, habitat loss affects over 1,300 (93%) threatened species. And a 2022 study by multiple renowned institutions has confirmed that habitat loss has contributed to the high death toll among multiple species of birds. 

Birds in the tropics, which are the most diverse, are in more danger because of the rapid loss of their rainforests. Forests are also lost to exploration & agriculture, and the remaining patches of habitat like the tree in the above instance are too small and easily overlooked.

Here are some species already extinct from habitat loss:

• The Bachman's warbler: A former migrant breeding in the U.S. and wintering in Cuba. The yellow and black birds were last sighted in the 1960s.
• Dusky seaside sparrow: These were non-migratory birds common in salt marshes in Florida, the U.S. They were officially declared extinct in 1990.
• Ivory-billed woodpecker: The woodpecker was from the coniferous and hardwood forests in Cuba and the U.S., last formally sighted in Louisiana in 1994.

Disease Outbreaks

Besides dying from falls from the sky in some regions, experts noticed abnormalities in birds, indicating underlying illness which is contributing to why are birds dying.

Those that fell but were still alive around June 2021 in the U.S. exhibited symptoms such as:

• Puffy eyes with blurred vision
• Inability to remain balanced
• Slight seizures

Scientists couldn't pinpoint them to a particular disease, but it's apparent that they suffered some health challenges before the fall.

During epidemics, it's common for birds to lose their lives from infections like the influenza virus in May 2022. Millions of birds of various species were affected globally, and wild ones without much human care lost their lives.

According to Nature, 400,000 non-poultry birds died in about 2,600 outbreaks, twice that reported in the 2016–17 wave. 3,000 outbreaks in total were also recorded.

They are easily transmitted in a flock, making it easier for a large group to be infected. And humans can contract it too.

Many other diseases may cause bird's death, including:

• Newcastle disease
• Salmonella infection
• Infectious bursal disease

In fact, avian malaria transmitted by the Culex mosquito has also been linked to the extinction of many species in Hawaiian forests.

In addition to these diseases, ornithologists have not ruled out the chances for an epidemic to introduce an entirely new infection among the the various species of birds. 

Wildlife Predation

Predation is a natural phenomenon in the wild to balance the ecosystem, and birds die from being preyed on. However, indiscriminate predation can lead to a population decline. 

Humans introduce predators like cats and dogs when they start inhabiting spaces, which start culling the local bird population. Island birds suffer the most from introduced predators brought by humans.

Initially, the island species evolved without predators, gradually losing innate anti-predator behaviors. But as humans brought along foreign animals like cats, rats, and pigs, birds went down the food chain, being preyed upon more quickly.

In fact, birds' death may not only result from direct predation but events leading to it, as seen in the bustling Mexican city discussed earlier. Experts believe that hundreds of yellow-headed blackbirds fell from the sky primarily to evade a predatory bird trying to make a catch.

About the case, Dr. Alexander Lees from Manchester Metropolitan University, a senior lecturer in conservation biology, stated, "The most probable cause is the flock murmurating to avoid a predatory raptor and hitting the ground…In a tightly packed flock, the birds are following the movements of the bird in front rather than actually interpreting their wider surroundings, so it isn't unexpected that such events happen occasionally."

Climate Change

Climate change is an insidious problem impacting birds in many ways that lead to population decline.

Being migratory creatures, a phenological mismatch from global warming means that a migration destination may possess unfavorable living conditions, unlike before.

The species need to tweak their timing to arrive at a more auspicious period based on food sources and warm weather to breed. If not, the offspring's survival from breeding is at stake.

A 2021 study proved the effects of climate change on birds' survival in deserts. The researchers used over 134 bird species to discover how they responded over time by comparing them to the result a previous scientist had documented about that area.

Birds could not survive better than rodents also experimented on because they lacked protective microhabitats. They also had limited access to water required to withstand the desert's heat.

In the end, a decline in population has been noted in about 29% of the known bird species which contributes to why are birds dying.

How To Prevent The Decline Of Bird Populations

Unfortunately, if we don't make radical decisions & actions to save the avian world fast, we may never see some species again. Many, like the African gray parrot, are already in danger, but even the more populated ones are declining quickly.

Hence, consider the following ways to save dying birds:

• Avoid deforestation and join conservative groups to restore native forests to their pristine conditions so birds can continue to live in the lush trees.
• Reduce your carbon footprint to fight against global warming triggering climate change.
• Stop and prevent others from hunting bird species, especially endangered ones.
• Obey and promote laws regarding forest and wildlife preservation.
• Construct small habitats for endangered birds in your environment, providing food, water, and temporary shelter to promote their growth.
• Vaccinate poultry birds from diseases, especially during an epidemic.

Although it is almost impossible to utterly prevent the extinction of some species, it's worth the effort to minimize the impact humans cause.

Why Are Birds Dying?...Final Thoughts

Global birds' populations have been massively declining this decade, due to degradation and loss of habitat, disease outbreaks, predation, and climate change. Many species have gone extinct because of these reasons, and if a radical approach isn't taken soon, many more are on the line. 

To prevent this decline, humans must reduce their carbon footprint, protect and promote wildlife conservation laws, avoid deforestation, vaccinate poultry birds, and prevent overhunting of bird species.

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Hi! I'm Richard Worden, the author and founder of We Know Birds.

Over 20 years ago I developed a keen interest in birds and birdwatching, and it has been my passion ever since. I am committed to spreading useful knowledge about birds to others so we might all enjoy them to the fullest.

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