Jeff Steele, Writer/Photographer

With the annual Christmas Bird Count coming to a close (Dec 14, 2025 to Jan 5, 2026) we arrive at National Bird Day Jan 5, 2026.

Why should we care?  

Birds are a key element in our ecosystems.  They play a major role in pest control, pollination, plant despersal, and more.  

Additionally, birds give us insight on to how our worlds enviroment health is doing. When things go right bird populations reflect it, this is also true when things go wrong.

Alarmingly, we are seeing too much wrong as nearly 50% of the bird population has vanished just since the 1970’s.   

What’s the problem?

There are many contributing factors but mainly it is us (humans). However not to condemn us completely, it is our activities which are the largest culprit.  

Pollution, littering, land development, illegal harvesting, allowing free-ranging pet cats /feral cats, and more.  All are responsible for the loss of millions of wildlife each year.

Climate change is also a contributing factor. As temperature around the globe rise, there are notable shifts in habitiat, territorial/breeding ranges and food suppies required by birds also other species. The expansion of  speciea  into new territories cause competition for resources, cross-breeding, and other issues.

How does this effect me?

All the ways of the  answer to that question are still not known.  What we do know, is that the lack of help from our feathered friends alone impacts our food supplies, habitat, climate.  Without pollination and pest control many plant species would cease to be.  Trees and other foliage would decline and many would die out . This lack of natural reforestation and plant dispersal not only futher depletes our resources and food, but adds to the climates temperature increases.

Rodents and many insect populations would go unchecked thus another imbalance to our entire ecosystems as we know it would occur.

This is not Science Fiction / Fantasy or apocolyptic story. These are very real and happening to our world all around us right now.

We have lost nearly Fifty percent of our bird population alone just since 1970.  Showing us just how bad things have become in our environments.

What can I do to  help fix this?

Actually helping is easier than we think.  It takes time, serious effort, but success can and have been achieved in species such as Eastern blue birds, Perigren Falcons, and  Bald Eagles.  

These three species were in serious trouble and populations were so low that they were endangered of becoming extinct.  

However, through support and  actions taken by folks  just like you and I.  Governments   made laws and changes that helped protect the species from certain perils.  Wildlife conservationists, scientists and professionals at various levels studied and found the problems and also devised ways to help. 

It took some time and funding, of course, but those efforts, funds, and support came from  people like us.  Their work brought new changes in farminng, forestry, habitat and pesticide use. Even just the simple act of hanging a blue bird boxes in the backyards boosted the projects rate of success. All this added up to a comeback for all three species.   We can now not only enjoy observing them in the wild, but also know that they will now continue to contribute to our existence and successes as well.

While the success of those three species is womderful news. These are only three of thousands of species of birds, mamamals, and aquatic wildlife that currently are threatened and headed to extinction. 

Ok, now here are some ways to help.

1) If you’re a pet owner who has a cat.  Keep it indoors.  Free range and feral cats contribute to an astonishing number of wildlife deaths each year, especially birds. Just by assuring domestic cats stay indoors will greatly boost the wildlife populations.  

Keeping Birds Safe from Outdoor Cats

2) Support your local conservation organizations and wildlife control.  They are doing a service to help fix dynamic issues on a wide scale. Soil errosion, fresh/clean water supplies, alterternative energy sources, waste management,  the list goes on and on

3) Join a club and/or perform volunteer work.  Many special interest clubs play a part in conservation efforts. They offer a way to connect, build skills, and bring awareness/aid to causes that resonate with you.  

4) Stop litter! Participate and/or form a litter removal event.  Help bring litter awareness to your community.

5) You can put out a bird nesting box to encourage and help population increase.

6) Participate in Citizen Science projects.  This can be easily done through use of an app or apps  right from your smartphone.  Apps like eBird, Merlin, Audubon are a good places to start for bird supporters.

https://ebird.org/home

Merlin Bird ID – Home

7) There are so many ways to help.  Should it be through funding, or by doing. Search your local area and you maybe surprised at how many programs exist. If no program is available consider starting one.

Let’s make 2026 a year where we really give back to our world and help turn a crisis situation into a succuss story.