Songbirds

Songbirds. Neotropical Migrants.

"Over increasingly large areas of the United States, spring now comes unheralded by the return of the birds, and the early mornings are now strangely silent, where once they were filled with the beauty of bird song." , Silent Spring, published in 1962 , Rachel Carson

, Every spring and fall, birds we call neotropical migrants fly thousands of miles between breeding areas in North America and wintering grounds in Central and South America. They migrate following cues such as the sun and stars, visual landmarks, the earth's magnetic field, and gravity. Neotropical migrants include some of our most common species such as warblers, vireos, hummingbirds, shorebirds, and some birds of prey., Neotropical migrants show us how healthy our environment is. Populations of many of these birds have been declining because of habitat loss from forest destruction, wetland drainage, and urban growth - both in North America and in their wintering habitat in developing Latin American countries. Other factors include pollution, especially from pesticides, human disturbance, and predators, including the common house cat., Recently, the plight of neotropical migrants has gained attention, and programs focusing on these birds have begun.