In 2019, a study was published in the journal Science, with an alarm showing a net loss of 3 billion birds in North America isince the 1970s. The new 2025 State of the Birds report shows those losses are continuing, with declines among several bird trend indicators. Still more grassland birds are declining, and perhaps even more notable is that duck populations, which had strong increases since 1970, have begun trending downward in recent years. Both Mallards and Northern Pintails have decreased in numbers since 2019, with pintails now in the most serious decline.
But science is now showing that private lands conservation programs, and voluntary conservation partnerships for working lands, hold some of the best opportunities for sparking immediate turnarounds for birds. It is up to all of us who enjoy our nation's natural resources to work with landowners, government agencies, and everyone possible, plus make monetary donations, to expand turnaround populations of birds on private lands in the coming years. Go to the following website to read the entire new State of the Birds report:
https://www.stateofthebirds.org/2025/