In short, I am here explore and discuss the ways through which human activities have had an impact on the nature (such as habits and migratory patterns), population number and species diversity of birds.
These impacts may be detrimental or positive; whilst there will be cases where I'll be discussing where anthropogenic activity may have been the cause of (or may be leading to) the extinction of certain bird species, I would also like to explore the possibility that our activity may have unintentionally benefited others. Along my journey, I also aim to learn more about what humans can and should do to help preserve our feathered friends - that is, if we should do anything all at?
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| Critically endangered; the Juan Fernández Firecrown (Sephanoides fernandes), a hummingbird found solely on Robinson Crusoe Island (Wikipedia)(Birdlife) - Photo by hectorgutierrez, on Flickr |
I am lover of birds (and all other animals), from the beautiful Robin to the 'grotesque' (or glorious, if you're me) Red-Headed Vulture, and from this stems my topic for this blog. Two years ago I was mostly ignorant of their plight; but studying, interacting with my peers and volunteering for a short period with the RSPB over the summer of 2013 has made led to me becoming more concerned about nature and the environment.
In my current position I favour conservation and preservation, and I believe that issues such as climate change and the loss of biodiversity are ones that need to be tackled seriously and effectively. As Simon Barnes (RSPB Birds Magazine, Spring 2013) put it;
"By destroying biodiversity we are imperilling the future of the planet we live on and putting ourselves in grave danger"At present, almost 200 bird species are listed as 'critically endangered', and many more are 'endangered' or 'at risk'. Estimates of past bird extinctions due to anthropogenic activities are around 116 species since c.1600 (Smith et al, 1993) and 119 since c.1500 (Pimm et al, 2006), and in the last 30 years alone 21 bird species have gone extinct. This is much greater than the calculated natural extinction rate of 1 species every 100 years (BirdLife), and many more species are sure to follow. The many threats faced by birds are not limited to particular regions or countries, but are global. That means bird decline is occurring right on our doorsteps, and some fear (perhaps unrealistically) that we may one-day face a future of empty and silent skies if these issues are not addressed.
To sum this introduction up, I'll finish by saying that this is my first time addressing and expressing my thoughts on what I believe is a serious matter. I openly welcome any comments, critiques, suggestions or discussions. Hopefully I will learn a lot along my assigned journey, and I hope that you'll all enjoy reading and learning with me!
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