Devotions
This work is devoted to celebrating the importance of unsung American heroes and North American bird species that are declining at extreme rates. Artists, social and political activists, environmentalists, and scientists who have made significant impacts in their field for the greater good, I’ve paired with birds whose native range includes where these heroes lived or where their impacts were most felt. The placement is chronological, meant to elicit a deep history of American activism and indomitable spirit. These birds, underappreciated like their counterparts, are all newly identified as ‘tipping point’ species; they aren’t currently protected under the Endangered Species Act, but have lost at least 50% of their population in the last 50 years and are projected to continuously decline without significant change.
“The rapid declines in birds signal the intensifying stresses that wildlife and people alike are experiencing around the world because of habitat loss, environmental degradation, and extreme climate events,” said Amanda Rodewald, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Center for Avian Population Studies and a co-chair of the State of the Birds science committee. “Taking action to bring birds back delivers a cascade of benefits that improve climate resilience and quality of life for people.”