In
the species treatments we have placed information on the
wintering range of North American birds under the
CONSERVATION heading. The connection between wintering range
and conservation is emphasized because the greatest threat
to the preservation of many North American birds occurs
south of the U.S.-Mexican border. At current growth rates,
human populations in tropical America will double in the
next 30 years, and remaining areas of undisturbed natural
environment will be greatly reduced. Especially critical for
North American migrants is the likely decimation of tropical
rain forests, which host many of our songbirds. If current
trends continue, those forests will be largely gone before
the middle of the next century, in part because of a desire
by North Americans for cheap fast-food hamburgers, TV
dinners, and meaty dog food. Many rain forests in Central
and South America are being cleared so that they can be used
to raise beef cattle. Grazing is poor to begin with, and
usually in less than a decade new range becomes wasteland.
Even so, large landowners make a handsome profit in the
process, selling beef raised relatively cheaply to rich
nations. In addition, numerous
shorebirds depend upon tropical estuarine and other wetland
environments either for wintering or for resting habitat
during migration. These areas also are likely to be
destroyed as the numbers of people expand. And, finally, the
use of those pesticides dangerous to birds is not well
regulated in most Latin American nations. Some of our birds
doubtless never make it back, or suffer breeding failures
when they do, because they were poisoned. In short, much of the winter
habitat required by some members of North America's avifauna
is likely to disappear or be contaminated in the next few
decades. Outlining the south-of-the border winter
distribution of each species both gives a clue to its
vulnerability and provides a reminder that conservation of
many of our bird species requires steps to save tropical
habitats. Preservation of birds gives us one more reason to
do all we can to help our southern neighbors solve their
environmental problems. Of course, we must remember that our
avifauna, both migratory and nonmigratory, is also
threatened in diverse ways by environmental changes within
the United States and Canada. SEE: The
Decline of Eastern
Songbirds;
DDT
and Birds;
Metallic
Poisons. Copyright
® 1988 by Paul R. Ehrlich, David S. Dobkin, and Darryl
Wheye.