Latest news with #eBird
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Colombia Breaks Tourism Records and Tops Global Bird Count, again!
With over 1,500 bird species recorded, the Country of Beauty continues to showcase its singular, awe-inspiring biodiversity. MIAMI, May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Colombia has once again soared to the top of the world's largest bird count. Recording an astonishing 1,563 bird species during the recent edition of Global Big Day 2025, the country reaffirms its title as the most biodiverse nation on Earth for birds and a rising global leader in nature tourism. This achievement comes amid a landmark moment for Colombian tourism. In 2024, the country welcomed over 6.9 million international visitors — a historic record — with the United States leading the way. Today, Colombia is the number one South American destination for U.S. travelers. The Global Big Day, coordinated by the scientific platform eBird, is held in over 200 countries each year and unites birders, scientists, and local communities to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day. In this latest edition, Colombia once again topped the leaderboard, outpacing Peru (1,404 species) and Brazil (1,245). Regions such as Amazon Orinoco and the Pacific were major contributors to the bird count, offering birders access to lush rainforests, mountains, and savannas, all in one destination. "This achievement affirms our extraordinary natural wealth and our commitment to sustainability," said Carmen Caballero, president of ProColombia, the country's promotion agency. "Birdwatching is more than a niche activity; it's a growing driver of sustainable development across our regions and a vital way we share Colombia's beauty with the world." Explore the Wild Heart of Colombia's Natural Treasures Colombia's leadership in the Global Big Day reflects more than just its biodiversity. With over 1,900 bird species, including 79 endemics, and a strategic location along major migratory routes, the country is uniquely positioned to offer one-of-a-kind birding experiences. The Colombian tourism sector has embraced this potential, developing infrastructure tailored to birdwatchers, from specialized guides to eco-lodges and scenic trails. Through ProColombia, the country has launched birding routes, attended fairs like the Global Bird Fair, and hosted familiarization trips with U.S. and U.K. tour operators — Colombia's two main international tourism markets. This focused investment is paying off. Birdwatching has become not only a conservation tool but also a vital source of income for local communities, connecting travelers with Colombia's incredible landscapes, wildlife, and culture. Don't miss The Country of Beauty's wild side at the Colombia Nature Travel Mart this September. Register here. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE PROCOLOMBIA Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Egypt Today
11-05-2025
- General
- Egypt Today
Egypt: More than 354.5K observed during this fall/spring season
A steppe eagle - CC via Flickr/ Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan CAIRO – 11 May 2025: The Egyptian Society for the Conservation of Nature announced that, so far this fall/spring season, 354,571 migratory birds have been recorded at the Galala Bird Observatory. Among the 34 species observed, the site documented the passage of more than 90% of the global population of steppe eagles and over 50% of the global population of Levant sparrowhawks. These figures highlight Egypt's pivotal role as a global data source in bird migration monitoring and conservation. According to a statement released by the Ministry of Environment, Egypt joined countries around the world in celebrating World Migratory Bird Day, observed this year on May 10 under the theme Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities." The annual event, held on the second Saturday of May, underscores the critical need to design and manage urban environments that support both human populations and migratory bird species. This year's theme emphasizes the importance of strategic urban planning and the adoption of bird-friendly practices to reverse alarming declines in bird populations. It also calls for collective action from governments, local authorities, businesses, and civil society to create safe spaces for migratory birds in and around urban areas. Minister of Environment Dr. Yasmine Fouad highlighted the Ministry's active participation in the national celebration organized by the Egyptian Society for the Conservation of Nature at the Galala Bird Observatory, one of the most significant migratory bird monitoring sites in Egypt. The event brought together nature experts, observers, and media professionals who documented bird sightings to be uploaded to the global eBird platform—contributing valuable data to international bird conservation efforts. Fouad stressed that World Migratory Bird Day serves as a key opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of migratory birds and the many threats they face along their journeys. These include habitat destruction, illegal hunting, pollution, and the growing impact of climate change. She underscored Egypt's commitment to supporting international conservation programs, protecting natural habitats, combating poaching, and enforcing wildlife protection laws. The Minister elaborated on the factors driving bird migration, such as the search for food, escape from harsh weather, and the need for suitable breeding and nesting conditions. Environmental stressors like climate change, water shortages, and pollution also play a major role, often forcing birds to relocate in search of more viable habitats. Competition for resources is another driver of migratory behavior. Dr. Fouad also noted the ecological importance of migratory birds. These species play vital roles in pollination, pest control, and maintaining the balance of various ecosystems. Moreover, birds serve as early indicators of environmental health and climate change impacts. She warned of the increasing threats to migration routes, including the loss of forests and wetlands, pollution, and illegal poaching. Climate change, she said, is particularly disruptive, altering bird migration patterns and threatening the survival of some species. The Minister emphasized the need for enhanced public awareness and international cooperation to protect migratory birds and preserve the biodiversity that is an essential part of both Egypt's natural heritage and the global environment.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
New research reveals where North American bird populations are crashing
WASHINGTON: Birds are facing a population crisis, but a lack of high-quality localized data has made it difficult to understand the drivers behind specific declines and to craft effective conservation responses. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Now, a team of researchers has developed an innovative solution, combining vast amounts of data from a popular birding app with machine learning and advanced statistical methods to overcome the challenges posed by large-scale citizen science projects. Their study, published Thursday in Science, reveals that North American bird populations are being hit hardest in their traditional strongholds, as rapid environmental shifts -- including climate change -- disrupt these once-reliable refuges. "We have known for a long time that bird populations are declining," lead author Alison Johnston, an ornithologist and ecological statistician at the University of St Andrews, told AFP. "What we aimed to do here was to look at better population trends in much more detail," she said -- data that is "a lot more tailored for conservation decisions and understanding what we can actually do on the ground." A landmark 2019 paper also in Science found that North America had lost 2.9 billion breeding adult birds between 1970 and 2017 -- a net loss of nearly a third. The 2025 US State of the Birds report found continued declines in nearly every ecological biome. Birds play vital roles in ecosystems, from pollinating plants and dispersing seeds to controlling pests. Their loss disrupts food chains, undermines forest health, reduces crop yields -- and deprives people of the joy of watching species that have long been part of human culture. But the threats are diverse: from prairie loss impacting Baird's Sparrows in the Midwest to Hawaiian birds threatened by rising seas and invasive predators, including cats. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Johnston and colleagues turned to eBird, an open-source project, analyzing 36 million observations spanning 2007 to 2021 across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. A major challenge with citizen science data is separating changes in bird populations from changes in how people watch birds. The team overcame this with several innovations: using only checklists where observers recorded all species seen; accounting for variables like observation time and distance traveled; and applying a machine learning model that controlled for shifting birding behavior. They validated the approach through thousands of simulations, ultimately focusing on 495 species for which the results proved reliable. Unlike previous monitoring that tracked trends at the state or regional level, their analysis looked at plots 27 kilometers by 27 kilometers (17 miles by 17 miles) -- roughly the size of New York City. Key findings included that 97 percent of species had both areas of increasing population and areas of decline, revealing hidden complexity. Wood ducks for instance are declining in the Southeast US but thriving farther north, suggesting a climate-related shift. The study also found that 83 percent of species are shrinking fastest in areas where they were most abundant, particularly grassland and aridland breeders. The reasons aren't fully known, but one theory is that birds adapted to rich environments may be less resilient to rapid change than those evolved for harsher conditions. Conversely, some aridland, forest, and generalist species are rebounding in parts of their range where they were once scarce -- pointing to pockets of opportunity. The findings are already being used by wildlife agencies, for example in permitting wind energy projects to minimize impacts on species such as Bald Eagles.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Collapsing bird numbers in North America prompt fears of ecological crisis
Bird populations across North America are falling most quickly in areas where they are most abundant, according to new research, prompting fears of ecological collapse in previously protected areas. Analysis of nearly 500 bird species across North America has found that three-quarters are declining across their ranges, with two-thirds of the total shrinking significantly. The study, published in the journal Science, indicates that former strongholds for bird species are no longer safe, particularly in grasslands, drylands and the Arctic. In one of the most ambitious uses of citizen science data so far, scientists at Princeton University used observations from eBird, a popular application used by birdwatchers to record sightings, to model changes between 2007 and 2021. The granularity of the data allowed researchers to track the rate of change in 27 sq km (10 sq miles) segments across North America, showing dramatic declines in areas where less than two decades ago bird species had thrived. 'We've known for several years that a lot of bird species in North America have been declining. With this study, we were aiming to understand in much finer spatial resolution where birds were declining and where they might be increasing. Rather than having a range-wide trend to see if a species is going up or down, we want to know where it is going up and down,' said Alison Johnston, director of the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, who led the study. 'The main ecological finding is that the locations where these species were thriving in the past, where the environments were really well suited to birds, are now the places where they are suffering the most,' she said. The researchers said further studies were needed to explain the reasons behind the changes, many of which were dramatic, with populations falling by more than 10% a year in some areas. Global heating and habitat change were put forward as the main theories behind the shifts, but Johnston said they ultimately did not know. 'The way I interpret this result is that it's indicative of major changes in our world,' she said. 'The fact that where birds used to have strongholds, where there used to be a lot of resources, where the environments were really suitable, are now the places where they are declining most, that suggests to me that we are just seeing fundamental changes to the environments around us. The birds are like the canary in the coalmine,' she said. The research adds to a recent series of studies that have documented severe declines of birds in nature reserves and protected areas. Related: In the most untouched, pristine parts of the Amazon, birds are dying. Scientists may finally know why Despite the worrying overall picture, the researchers found pockets of stability in bird populations in their analysis, such as the Appalachians and western mountains. In addition, 97% of all bird species had some pockets where their populations were increasing. The team at Princeton University has previously developed methods for reliably converting citizen science observations in apps such as eBird into data that can be used to monitor population changes in a single species. The study authors only included results that had passed strict reliability checks. Prof Amanda Rodewald from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a co-author on the study, said the methods would allow conservationists to target their efforts. 'It is this kind of small-scale information across broad geographies that has been lacking and it's exactly what we need to make smart conservation decisions,' she said. 'These data products give us a new lens to detect and diagnose population declines and to respond to them in a way that's strategic, precise and flexible. That's a gamechanger for conservation.' Ian Burfield, a global science coordinator with BirdLife, who was not involved in the study, welcomed the research and said it highlighted areas for further investigation. 'North American birds are one of very few taxonomic groups and regions where such data exist to facilitate this approach. This emphasises the vital need for more field data collection, both through formal monitoring schemes and citizen science efforts, in many other parts of the world, especially in the biodiversity-rich tropics,' he said. Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield in the Guardian app for more nature coverage
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
New research reveals where N. American bird populations are crashing
Birds are facing a population crisis, but a lack of high-quality localized data has made it difficult to understand the drivers behind specific declines and to craft effective conservation responses. Now, a team of researchers has developed an innovative solution, combining vast amounts of data from a popular birding app with machine learning and advanced statistical methods to overcome the challenges posed by large-scale citizen science projects. Their study, published Thursday in Science, reveals that North American bird populations are being hit hardest in their traditional strongholds, as rapid environmental shifts -- including climate change -- disrupt these once-reliable refuges. "We have known for a long time that bird populations are declining," lead author Alison Johnston, an ornithologist and ecological statistician at the University of St Andrews, told AFP. "What we aimed to do here was to look at better population trends in much more detail," she said -- data that is "a lot more tailored for conservation decisions and understanding what we can actually do on the ground." A landmark 2019 paper also in Science found that North America had lost 2.9 billion breeding adult birds between 1970 and 2017 -- a net loss of nearly a third. The 2025 US State of the Birds report found continued declines in nearly every ecological biome. Birds play vital roles in ecosystems, from pollinating plants and dispersing seeds to controlling pests. Their loss disrupts food chains, undermines forest health, reduces crop yields -- and deprives people of the joy of watching species that have long been part of human culture. But the threats are diverse: from prairie loss impacting Baird's Sparrows in the Midwest to Hawaiian birds threatened by rising seas and invasive predators, including cats. Johnston and colleagues turned to eBird, an open-source project, analyzing 36 million observations spanning 2007 to 2021 across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. A major challenge with citizen science data is separating changes in bird populations from changes in how people watch birds. The team overcame this with several innovations: using only checklists where observers recorded all species seen; accounting for variables like observation time and distance traveled; and applying a machine learning model that controlled for shifting birding behavior. They validated the approach through thousands of simulations, ultimately focusing on 495 species for which the results proved reliable. Unlike previous monitoring that tracked trends at the state or regional level, their analysis looked at plots 27 kilometers by 27 kilometers (17 miles by 17 miles) -- roughly the size of New York City. Key findings included that 97 percent of species had both areas of increasing population and areas of decline, revealing hidden complexity. Wood ducks for instance are declining in the Southeast US but thriving farther north, suggesting a climate-related shift. The study also found that 83 percent of species are shrinking fastest in areas where they were most abundant, particularly grassland and aridland breeders. The reasons aren't fully known, but one theory is that birds adapted to rich environments may be less resilient to rapid change than those evolved for harsher conditions. Conversely, some aridland, forest, and generalist species are rebounding in parts of their range where they were once scarce -- pointing to pockets of opportunity. The findings are already being used by wildlife agencies, for example in permitting wind energy projects to minimize impacts on species such as Bald Eagles. ia/des
