Thomas J. Benson leads the Critical Trends Assessment Program, which monitors the biological condition of Illinois’ forests, wetlands and grasslands, and collects data on plants, birds and arthropods.
Photo by L. Brian Stauffer
According to a new study reported in the journal Science, bird populations in North America have experienced a troubling decline in the past five decades. The scientists estimate the continent has lost close to 3 billion birds, roughly 29% of their total numbers in 1970.