DOWN EAST magazine • April 2023
It seems most bird news is bad news these days. Reports around the world register bird populations that are dwindling in size and diversity, courtesy of climate change, prowling pet cats, land development, wind turbines, and various other, mostly human-driven factors. Recently, a pair of once-in-a-generation studies of Maine bird populations wrapped up years of field work. Now in their data-crunching phases, researchers are bracing for sad stories, but they’ve also seen signs of some species making turnarounds, and they’re hopeful their work can impact plans to protect birds in the future.