Wildlife

Quieter Spring Skies over North America

The skies across much of North America have become increasingly more quiet over recent decades as the bird populations plummeted by 1.6 billion, according to a new study.

Scientists say that of the 86 species studied, 22 have lost at least half of their population since 1970.

“We’re really getting down to the dregs of some of these populations,” said study co-author Judith Kennedy of Environment Canada.

Domestic cats are believed to kill more than 2 billion birds each year, while farming disrupts habitats of grassland birds and adulterates the landscape with pesticides.

Logging has also thinned the forests used by many migrating birds as resting and refuelling stops.