Annual Bird Count Confirms Trend: Populations Continue to Decline

By Ryder W. Miller

The annual Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count found declining numbers of birds and species diversity in the San Francisco area again this year.

"Declining numbers have been going on for a number of years now," said Dan Murphy, count compiler for the Audubon Society. Speaking of the birds found in low numbers this year, Murphy lamented, "You could always find them, but they are now hard to find."

On Dec. 28, 101 birders searched the peninsula between the Golden Gate Bridge and San Bruno for all the birds they could find. Murphy reported that roughly 162 bird species were found locally, adding up to 47,415 individual birds.

Declining numbers were observed in the San Francisco population of the California quail, with only seven being observed. Bird populations found in coastal scrublands, oak woodlands and rocky coastlines were also down. Some of the affected species on the decline include: the Spotted Towee, Bewick's wren, Hutton's vireo, Black Turnstone, Ruddy Turnstone, surf bird and Wandering tattler. There were no Oak Titmice observed this year. The Wrentit is still extirpated (extinct) in San Francisco. Murphy also said the number of gulls and ducks were down.

Only small numbers of endangered and threatened species, like the Clapper Rail (11), Peregrine Falcon (4), Common Yellow Throat (30) and Snowy Plover (30) were observed within the count area this year.

On the rise were opportunistic species that have adapted well to urban environments, like the common crow, raven, Stellar's Jay and Scrub Jay. The crow and the non-indigenous Red-masked Parakeet population were at an all-time high.

Murphy said the declining bird trends are caused by several factors.

"It is the urban footprint that traps them (birds). It has isolated populations that go into tailspins and don't make it," Murphy said.

"What we see now is a crash. It is essentially due to isolated populations not being able to defend themselves," he said.

The long-term fixes include the work of the Natural Areas Program, the preservation and restoration of native habitats and the maintenance of urban wildlife corridors.

The Audubon Societies 2004 "USA State of the Birds" report said 23 percent of the nation's 654 birds species were at high-risk levels. Twenty of the 43 urban bird species analyzed are on the decline.