Before you read this article, brainstorm alone or with others by creating two lists:

What do you think are the possible causes of this loss? List as many as you can, and explain why for each.

What do you think are the possible effects of losing this many birds? List as many as you can, and explain why for each.

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Read the article, noting all the causes and effects it lists, then answer the following questions:

1. What are the possible causes listed in this article? How many of them were on your list?

2. Why are common bird species vital to ecosystems? What happens when they disappear? What other possible effects of the loss of so many birds did this article mention? How many were on your list?

3. How did researchers conduct this study? How did their system combine both old and new methods for counting birds?

4. What specific species of birds did this article mention? Are you familiar with any of them? What bird species do you know best?

5. What “positive signs” are there? Which of these make sense to scientists, and which are still hard to explain?

6. According to this article, what can we do — both as a society and as individuals — to help?

Going Further

Do you know what citizen science is? The article mentions one example of it: “For decades, professional ornithologists have been assisted by an army of devoted amateur bird-watchers who submit their observations to databases and help carry out surveys of bird populations each year.”