According to a recent study, it was discovered that 78% of the world’s bird species struggle to survive in highly modified human-dominated environments. These species are also more likely to have decreasing populations. The study also found that 14% of the 11,000 bird species around the world are currently at risk of extinction. The research evaluated the populations of bird species in various types of landscapes, from natural to heavily modified by human activity.from natural, pristine habitats to human-dominated environments,” says Marjakangas. “Threatened species and those with declining populations are less likely to breed in human-dominated habitats. For example, the Fern Wren, which only exists in tropical forests of northeastern Australia, is endangered, has a declining population, and a very low tolerance for human pressure.”The Common Swift is an example of a species that can be found breeding in urban areas all around the world, on all continents, according to Marjakangas. The UN’s Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework has set goals to protect 30% of the Earth’s land for conservation, but not much of that percentage will be pristine habitat. This study helps identify species that are particularly sensitive to human activity and need more protected habitats to thrive, such as the Great Snipe in Europe, the Nkulengu Rail in Africa, and the Hume’s Lark in Asia. Conservation action to protect or restore habitat can help these species.Senior curator Aleksi Lehikoinen from the Finnish Museum of Natural History at the University of Helsinki in Finland explains that conservation efforts should be focused on the species and locations that need it the most.
According to the researchers, Europe and North America had a higher proportion of bird species that are tolerant to human activity compared to Latin America and Africa. This may be due to Europe’s long history of environmental impacts, which has led to the disappearance of sensitive species and allowed remaining species to adapt to changing landscapes over time.
The researchers also quantified the tolerance of bird species to breed.A study has been conducted on 6,000 bird species in human-dominated environments using data from citizen science observations from the eBird project from 2013-2021. The study also used the Human Footprint Index to assess the extent of human impact, which includes factors such as built environments, human population density, night-time lights, agriculture, and roads.
The findings of the study have been published in the international science journal Global Ecology and Biogeography. Researchers from the University of Helsinki (Finland), Aarhus University (Denmark), University of St Andrews (UK), and the Institute for Mediterranean collaborated on this study.A study conducted in Spain was referenced in a journal called “Global Ecology and Biogeography.” The study, authored by Emma‐Liina Marjakangas, Alison Johnston, Andrea Santangeli, and Aleksi Lehikoinen, focused on the tolerance of bird species to human pressures and their associations with population change. The article, published in 2024, can be found at DOI: 10.1111/geb.13816.