While the US government is not serious about curtailing its greenhouse gas emission to combat global warming, its lackadaisical attitude is having its toll on the country’s most mellifluous inhabitants – the birds.
According to a new Watch List 2007, compiled by the National Audubon Society and the American Bird Conservancy, 178 species of birds in the continental United States and 39 in Hawaii are in danger of extinction. These species comprise over a quarter of the total bird population of the US.
Of these birds, 98 are on the ‘red list’ of greatest concern and 119 are in the ‘yellow list’ indicating that their numbers are fast declining or the species is rare.
Global warming, losses of habitat due to urban and suburban sprawl and the US government’s policies on endangered species are responsible for endangering the existence of these birds. Rising sea levels, an obvious outcome of global warming are inundating coastal bird habitats of species like the seaside sparrow and the piping plover.
Image: Cornell
Source: Reuters