Preservation

Where have our birds gone?

Species of birds are disappearing off the face of the earth at an alarming rate these days. The fossil record shows that on average, only one species of bird goes extinct each century. Over the past two centuries, that figure has been multiplied by 40, and current estimates range between one and 10 species are going extinct each year. This dramatic increase in the instance of extinction among bird species can be explained by the ever increasing fragmentation of forests and landscapes, the rapid development of land for human habitation and business, as well as the shifting global climate. Bird species of all kinds are threatened with extinction, and hummingbirds are no exception. Twenty-eight hummingbird species (almost nine per cent of all hummingbird species) are threatened or endangered.

Field Crew in Ecuador

Although hummingbirds live in virtually all habitats and environments throughout the New World, their diversity appears most dependent on forest habitats throughout the Americas. In 1999, 25 hummingbird species were listed as threatened or endangered, but none in the USA and Canada. Of these 25, all but two rely on forests for at least one stage of their life history. For these reasons, our first preservation project will be protecting the Fog Forest in western Ecuador. We at HMN feel that something must be done to help protect these awe-inspiring birds, and preserve the habitat that they and countless other species of wildlife depend on.

A central goal for HMN and for conservation in general is to preserve areas that represent and maintain the diversity of a region. As HMN learns of areas that are important for maintaining hummingbird diversity and abundance, we will expand our preservation work there. We are now exploring locations in Mexico to determine which sites are important for over-wintering North American hummingbirds. Perhaps you can help us identify these areas.

Learn about our preservation project - Protecting the Fog Forest of western Ecuador