MAINE PUBLIC • March 28, 2024
Amid the bleak reports about a precipitous loss in numbers and types of birds around North America and the rest of the world is a glimmer of hope in Maine's North Woods. A new study has found something unexpected and scientists aren't yet sure how to explain it. 33 out of 47 species showed an increased abundance over 30 years. This is in sharp contrast to findings in the Breeding Bird Survey during the same timeframe. Those showed 35 of the same species declined regionally and across the continent. Despite the widespread increases, 14 bird species show a decline in abundance in the study area.