Birds have fascinated and entertained humans since the beginning of time. Consciously or subconsciously we listen to their calls, observe their activities, celebrate their arrival and, when they’re missing, wonder why.
John Bower, associate professor at Western Washington University’s Fairhaven College, is a leader in studying trends in local marine bird populations. He says the birds of Puget Sound are telling us something.
“They are the canary in the coal mine, telling us we need to focus on the marine environment.”
Bower says Puget Sound’s marine bird populations have shifted dramatically in recent decades, though the data are sometimes confusing, incomplete and contradictory. Changes in the marine food supply may explain why some species are emerging as winners and others as losers in the battle to adapt. For most species the trend is clearly downward.
Bower says one of the biggest losers may be Western Grebe, which some observers believe has diminished to only a fraction of the numbers observed a few decades ago.
Human impact on Puget Sound includes fishing, pollution and habitat alteration. Global climate change may well be another contributor.
