The Case of Three-Billion Missing Birds: How You Can Help Stop The Decline (Webinar)

A John Bunker Sands Wetland Center Webinar:
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Join us for a one-hour webinar to learn about the precipitous decline of birds in Texas and N. America, ways to support birds in your own backyard, and how the JBS Wetland Center is doing its part to provide critical habitat for birds.
Called a “A staggering loss” by Cornell Lab Director John Fitzpatrick, rapid and significant bird declines are backed by a recent comprehensive study published in Science. The study concluded that North American bird populations showed devastating losses among birds in every biome.
Common birds-the species that many people see every day-have suffered the greatest losses, according to the study. More than 90% of the losses (more than 2.5 billion birds) come from just 12 families including the sparrows, blackbirds, warblers, and finches.
According to Rufus Stephens, author of Land Stewardship for Birds: A Guide for Central Texas, “There are actions that homeowners and ranchers can take to support birds on their own property.” During this webinar, learn steps that you can take to meaningfully support woodland and grassland species.
Here at the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center, our 2000-acre wetland and surrounding woodland is providing valuable habitat for close to 300 species of birds. Blaine Carnes will be discussing the results of his 2024 bird monitoring study that looks at the number of migratory songbirds that stop at the location, and to provide data on the duration of their stay and the speed at which they regain mass after arriving. This information can be used to develop strategies for reducing population declines and maintaining healthy bird populations, and to evaluate the effects of habitat management.
Blaine Carnes is an ornithologist who has focused on long-term bird monitoring projects since 2008. He has worked with the Institute for Bird Populations and their collaborators on the MAPS and MoSI banding programs in thirteen different years, as well as spending two years at the Carnegie Museum’s Powdermill Avian Research Center. Additionally, he has spent time as a team lead at several bird migration study sites and has accumulated almost four years in Central and South America on a variety of ornithological field research. He currently runs a bird monitoring program with study sites at John Bunker Sands Wetland Center and Trinity River Audubon Center, and works with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on the Merlin Sound ID app.
Rufus Stephens, a Certified Wildlife Biologist, specializing in wildlife management plans with a focus on bird conservation. He co-authored "Land Stewardship for Birds: A Guide for Central Texas" with Jan Wrede, published by TAMU Press. As a wildlife consultant he assists landowners and communities with the development of wildlife management plans with special emphasis on the management of birds. Notably, Rufus is recognized as one of the founders of the esteemed Texas Master Naturalist program. His instrumental role in its establishment earned him a corecipient distinction of the prestigious Wildlife Management Institute’s award for Innovation.