Bird populations have been consistently dropping for decades, so it is a marvelous triumph when species make comebacks.
According to The Conversation, many species of birds have faced the consequences of the human-created pitfalls of habitat destruction, pollution, pesticide use, and hunting.
Despite this, bird enthusiast Tom Langen wrote that he has noticed a resurgence of certain species on his bike rides through rural New York.
Langen notes that these birds' return is a reaction to conservation efforts. Several species, like the merlin, the pileated woodpecker, and the sandhill crane, returned because of the eradication of certain pesticides, habitat restoration, and a shift away from bird hunting.
Langen wrote that, in the 1960s, merlin eggshells were terribly impacted by exposure to the pesticide DDT. This resulted in an intense population decline, as infants seldom survived.
In the 1970s, however, the U.S. and Canada began to restrict the use of DDT, allowing the merlin to reproduce properly.
All About Birds says that pileated woodpeckers nourish themselves on carpenter ants and wood-boring beetle larvae that they excavate from dead or dying trees. With more access to trees, these animals have made a re-emergence and can be found both in forests and suburban areas.
In the early 20th century, the tall, majestic sandhill cranes had disappeared from their breeding range. However, this crane has been more often sighted in rural New York than it had been previously, according to Langen.
This is thanks in part to conservation projects to protect wetlands and grasslands, as well as laws like the Clean Water Act, which came into being in 1948 and was revamped in 1972.
Birds are crucial for pest control, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. They eat 400 to 500 tons of insects annually, protecting people from damaged crops and disease.
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Definitely 👍 All three of these bird species used to be heavily hunted, but hunting regulations have changed this, according to Langen.
Efforts to protect birds are also efforts to protect the rest of Earth's inhabitants, as birds play a crucial role in keeping balance in ecosystems.
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