A study in Science found a decline of more than 25% in the number of North American birds since 1970.
An increased focus on managing forests sustainably and working to recover bird populations could help stem this massive decline. The long-term partnership between the two organizations is an example of success in sustainably managing bird populations in forested landscapes and cityscapes. The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) focuses on the conservation of birds and their habitat across the Americas; the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) focuses on advancing sustainability through forest-focused collaborations including forest-based research, conservation and education programs. SFI-certified organizations manage hundreds of millions of acres of forestland, so the partnership has allowed ABC to implement bird conservation and recovery strategies at landscape and local scales. The research conducted in these managed forests has advanced the understanding of the habitats of several species of concern, so that the organizations can reverse their decline.
But it’s not just in forests that we must work to improve bird conservation.
In cities, it’s birds crashing into towers of glass that’s a primary concern. Up to one billion birds die every year in North America when they hit glass walls and windows. Yet preventing such losses is relatively easy and doesn’t add to building costs if bird-friendly building design is considered from the outset. Companies certified to the SFI forest management standards provide forest products such as window frames that are aligned with green building standards like the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED. ABC has worked with architects, designers, manufacturers and building owners to assess many products that help birds avoid collisions with glass panes. These products include options from simple adhesive stickers with dotted patterns to glass embedded with polyamide threads that deter bird collisions. As architects and builders increase their understanding of how to prevent collisions, more of them are incorporate bird-friendly design into their buildings. And the organizations look forward to working with the USGBC and other green building groups to further improve bird-friendly designs. Whether the focus is forested landscapes or cityscapes, our partnership has been effective in conserving and recovering birds—but more needs to be done. Working together, we can use our shared expertise to find solutions for a more sustainable world—on every level.
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