Numbers already fading, backyard birds face new threat, says Audubon Society

Warblers, chickadees, robins, bluebirds and other small species are disappearing from backyards in Lorain County at an alarming rate. Now the Black River Audubon Society is raising concerns over a proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that could further decimate bird populations. Under attack, according to the Elyria-based chapter of the birding and conservation group, is the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which was put in place more than a century ago. Federal officials are considering rolling back its prohibition on industrial activities that kill large numbers of birds, BRAS Advocacy Chair Jim Jablonski said Thursday. "It would probably affect just about any kind of bird that comes through here, especially from the Gulf (of Mexico) area," he said. "The act is a potential threat to migratory birds, because their stop-over areas might be increasingly threatened." Every year, the National Audubon Society conducts its Christmas Bird Count. Volunteers tally how many birds they see and catalog the various species. On Dec. 28 in Wellington, 20 birdwatchers counted 3,927 birds of 47 different species. Two weeks earlier in Elyria, 33 people worked to count 11,543 birds of 61 species, far below what BRAS members expected. The numbers fluctuate from year to year based on weather along with the number of people taking part and other factors. But Jablonski said the trend is clear. Bird populations everywhere have fallen by about a third since 1970. "It's the age old struggle of industry versus nature," said Rob Swindell, treasurer of the Black River Audubon Society. Climate change and lost habitats are partially to blame for bird losses, he said. So is overuse of pesticides and herbicides, according to Jablonski. "Everything keeps piling on. It's not one big incident, not one big oil spill that's doing it," Swindell said. Feral cats, natural disasters, windmills, tall buildings and deforestation to make way for shopping centers all take a toll. Certain species have actually made a tremendous comeback over the past couple of decades, Jablonski said. Raptors, such as bald eagles and red-tailed hawks, are seeing a resurgence. Water birds such as ducks are also thriving. "I never thought I'd see a bald eagle in Lorain County in my lifetime," Jablonski said. Yet the national bird has nesting sites south of Wellington, at Oberlin's reservoir, along Baumhart Road in Lorain and at Sandy Ridge in North Ridgeville and at an Avon Lake elementary school. The great blue heron is another species making a return. Keep your eyes peeled, and you may see one fishing on the Black River at Cascade Park in Elyria. They've come back mostly because of environmental efforts like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which curbs lumber, oil and mining operations, Jablonski said. Get rid of it, and the Audubon Society fears losing smaller species such as blue jays, titmice, flickers, hummingbirds and woodpeckers. That likely would endanger the bald eagle population once again, Jablonski said. "This is why we don't want to see it weakened," he said. "Those are all birds we see here that we might not see much in the future." There are some simple steps you can take to lend birds a helping hand, said Swindell. You can put out bird feeders, cultivate bee gardens to help pollinators and donate to organizations like the Western Reserve Land Conservancy that buy property to protect forever. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.