They take to the skies, being borne by the winds, and are the descendants of dinosaurs. A flap from their dexterous wings might help carry them nearly 500 miles across the harshest ocean climates, while another is capable of running for miles upon miles of savannah or desert at a time. Some sport talons as large as a grizzly bear’s. Some are hailed the fastest animal on the planet, at 240 miles per hour, around the same speed as a Formula One race car.

If unaware of the existence of birds, one probably would have been terrified by the description above. Thankfully, the aforementioned details recount the prowess of the biological class Aves, not of some chimerical monster. There have been about 10,000 species of birds recognized all over the world, although scientists have predicted far larger numbers than that. Even at Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech), students are able to see over a dozen different species.

However, as our world becomes increasingly urbanized and more individuals become disconnected from nature, less of us know about the brilliance and significance avifauna have on Earth. The presence of humans has never jeopardized the survival of birds more than the present, and it is vital that more are informed on the precarious state of these feathered creatures. Read on for a history and guide to bird conservation, as well as a list of common birds in Ventura County.

​From the chirping of finches who shake the first morning dew, to the soaring silhouettes of raptors far above highways, birds are an irreplaceable facet of our world. Without them, where would the “cockle-doodle-doo” of roosters, or the “caw” of the common crow be? Besides their common appearances in myths and Aesop fables, these warm-blooded avians also play critical roles in ecosystems across the world. These roles include the dispersion of seeds and pollination, as well as hunting and scavenging. However, for the past three centuries birds have been in a steady, if not exponential, decline, and conservationists across the globe fight tirelessly to prevent further extinctions. 

In fact, society is faced with appalling statistics. A study conducted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in September of 2019 revealed that “The North American bird population is down by 2.9 billion breeding adults,” a number that has climbed to above three billion as of 2022. This devastating statistic means that since 1970, roughly one in four birds have vanished. 

More recently, the State of the Birds 2022 report made by the United States has stated that 70 new species have been identified as having “lost 50% or more of their populations in the past 50 years, and are on track to lose another half of their remnant populations in the next 50 years if nothing changes.” Furthermore, the National Audubon Society announced in an article from October 2022 that “More than half of U.S. birds are in decline.” In fact, Peter Marra, co-author of a 2019 Science study “Decline of the North American avifauna,” claimed in his co-written book “Cat Wars: The Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer” that we are essentially living through the advancement of the sixth mass extinction.

However, these rapidly declining populations are not caused by natural occurrences, in fact, they’re far from it. The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) reported that the number one cause for bird declines is habitat loss, with habitat degradation coming in second as available resources are compromised. Other human-caused factors include invasive species, exposure to pesticides and other toxins released into the environment, as well as collisions with glass, wind turbines, telephone wires and more. In studies across the bird conservation field, climate change is an additional variable and is expected to exacerbate these threats, ultimately accelerating the dwindling numbers of bird populations across most biomes. 

When people think about Ventura County and the birds that live within the coastal and mountainous environments, many might not think much of them. However, pay attention to the sky on a clear day, and one might catch sight of a turkey vulture’s silver-marked wingspan. The fearsome cousins of these raptors are the California condors, the bird with the largest wingspan in North America—much rarer, but still spotted around areas of Southern California. 

California condors soaring in the wild are the result of decades of conservation efforts. In fact, they have become perhaps one of the most successful conservation stories of all time. According to the National Park Service (NPS), the scavenger birds had first been “placed on the federal endangered species list in 1967,” with their future looking bleak in 1985 when only nine birds remained in the wild. The primary reason for this devastating decline was because the birds would consume carcasses left behind by hunters who used lead bullets. This resulted in lead poisoning and weaker eggshells, a jeopardizing situation as condors reproduce at extremely slow rates. Poison baits and the pesticide DDT may also have played roles in the weakening of eggshells. 

However, when it became clear that the birds would not be able to rebound without more human interference, “the last wild condor was removed from the wild, and all 27 left in the world were being kept in breeding facilities at the Los Angeles Zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park,” according to NPS. After years of painstaking dedication to raising chicks and research on how to integrate captive bred animals back into the wild, the first two captive-bred condors were released at Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge just north of Ventura, Calif. Today, there are around 400 California condors in the world, with more than half of them living in the wild. 

While conservation efforts may seem out of reach for the general public to participate in, they are actually closer than one may think. When asked about what motivates him to be a wildlife and bird photographer, Max Breshears ‘26 stated, “Well, there’s a big conservation side of it. Ventura is home to a lot of pretty endangered species that are being affected in lots of ways.” He explained how snowy plovers and least terns make their nesting grounds during early spring to mid-fall on beaches, including the coast of Ventura County. This exposes the small shorebirds’ nests to potentially damaging factors, including humans and dogs. However, conservation programs led by the Ventura Audubon Society have been working towards protecting these fragile habitats by educating the public, habitat fencing, putting up signs, and keeping data.  

Some additional ways to join the conservation effort are by protecting birds from pets outdoors, avoiding using toxic pesticides where birds can access them and getting outdoors with a few friends to mindfully enjoy and learn more about nature. One could also volunteer for beach clean-ups with the Surfrider Foundation or consider participating in a local bird conservation program. Just by raising awareness and making environmentally-friendly choices every day, one can make a world of difference for the future of birds and future generations … and perhaps prevent another mass extinction.