Just last year, 11 bird species were declared extinct—part of the largest batch of extinctions ever announced by the U.S. government. In the midst of a global biodiversity crisis, with three billion birds lost in just 50 years and two-thirds of North American bird species at increasing risk of climate extinction, we need to do everything in our power to protect and strengthen the species that remain.
For birds like the Piping Plover, decades of habitat loss and degradation have precipitated a worrying decline. Yet their story also proves that where there is action, there is hope: In recent years, they have returned to nest in several sites they had previously abandoned. And research shows Audubon’s coastal stewardship is key to this recovery. It comes down to this: Where we work—and when you power this work with generous giving—birds are better off.