Fewer Songs in the Air

Birds are an indicator of the health of our environment, which makes the recent Audubon report all that more serious. Over the last forty years the population of 20 common birds have decreased by more than 50%.

Some of the reasons for the decline are associated with habitat loss due deforestation and climate change due to global warming. The Audubon website lists some things we can do to help.

Here are a couple of recent books that are available at the Horry County Library.


Dr. Bridget Stutchbury in her book, Silence of the Songbirds, gives a good account of why we are losing our songbirds and what we can do about it.

Even small things can help, like switching to shade grown coffee and using recycled paper.

Interview (mp3) with Dr. Stutchbury from CBC radio.





Miyoko Chu's book, Songbird Journeys, is a fascinating introduction to bird migration.



Interview (mp3) with Miyoko Chu from NPR's All Things Considered.

And God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky. . . . and let birds multiply on the earth.’

Genesis 1:20-22