Review: Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest

Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest by Matt Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Birds are vital members of our ecosystem and they are increasingly endangered by climate changes, habitat destruction, changing agricultural practices, loss of native plants that are vital food sources, environmental toxins, the presence of tall buildings with reflective glass, and a host of other factors, including simple human interaction. Why should we care? Birds serve a vital role in our ecosystem, from controlling pests that destroy agriculture, providing pollination, to simple enjoyment. This book seeks to promote awareness of the steep declines of bird populations in the Midwest along with explaining some of the possible reasons for these declines.

The population losses cataloged in Williams's book are simply stunning. Some birds, like the Greater Prairie-chicken, a bird in only moderate decline, have disappeared entirely from some Midwestern states. Habitat loss, with only 1% of the prairie habitat of the species remaining in the Midwest, has contributed to the decline of the species. Sadly other birds, like the exquisite Wood Thrush, have been in steeper decline, largely due to nesting preferences that include unfragmented forests with trees at least fifty feet in height. Increased fragmentation of forested areas has resulted in the nesting Wood Thrushes being more vulnerable to parasitic species of birds, like the Cowbird, seizing their nests. The beautiful grassland Eastern Meadowlark is in even steeper population decline, with almost 90% of the population lost since the mid-1960's, likely due to changes in agricultural practices.

This book is a wakeup call about sources of declining bird populations and the pressures on them. The declines reported in the book are truly disheartening. Although I live in the East, I plan on sharing this book with a friend in Michigan, in the hopes that she can help raise awareness for promoting bird-friendly environments and questioning rural overdevelopment.

I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from Indiana University Press in exchange for an honest review.

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