Audubon: CT Bird Diversity Threatened by Lack of Conservation Efforts

The Audubon society reminded the state of Connecticut in a new report that its wide diversity of bird species is declining due to a lack of conservation efforts.

The Connecticut Audubon Society report points out that several land conservation agencies and organizations throughout the state have reduced or eliminated the natural processes that would have otherwise produced various habitats for a variety of birds.

The report also highlights how proper conservation management may lead to ecological enhancements across the state.

"There is still a wealth of beauty and biodiversity throughout Connecticut," Connecticut Audubon Society President Alexander R. Brash said in a recent news release. "But managing areas for wildlife is a lot more complicated than just letting them go. Because our landscape is already human dominated and no longer naturally balanced, we must determine what we want a landscape to look like and then actively manage the process to achieve that goal."

Birds that require early successional, or scrub-shrub, habitat have suffered the most, as their habitats have been converted to lawns or allowed to grow into mature forests. Those birds include the Blue-winged Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Indigo Bunting, Chestnut-sided Warbler and Field Sparrow. Grassland birds such as Bobolinks and Eastern Meadowlarks have similarly declined.

The Audubon society, a non-profit environmental organization, says in the report its goal is to preserve 21 percent of land in Connecticut by 2023 - meaning conservation agencies and organizations would have to preserve about 25,000 acres a year for the next decade.

However, these numbers are only an estimate. The report also suggests that no accurate data is available on the amount of open space available in the state. Stephen B. Oresman, chairman emeritus of the Connecticut Audubon Society, says that wildlife habitat and open space are not the same.

Susan Whalen, the deputy commissioner for Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, adds that deer also pose a threat to the natural habitat of birds. Deer eat native plants that provide food and other resources for many birds, and their absence may impact birds' natural habitat.

Environment advocates suggest that it may not be possible for one agency, such as the Audubon Society, to protect the natural habitat of birds in Connecticut. It has to be a joint effort between various conservation agencies to help bird diversity bounce back.