Since 1970, bird populations in North America have declined by approximately 2.9 billion birds, a loss of more than one in four birds.
Since 1970, bird populations in North America have declined by approximately 2.9 billion birds, a loss of more than one in four birds. Factors in this decline include habitat loss and ecosystem degradation from human actions on the landscape.
At the same time, enthusiasm for bird-watching has grown, with more than 45 million recreational participants in the United States alone. Now, researchers are looking into how to mobilize these bird enthusiasts to help limit bird population declines.
Enter bird-friendly coffee.
Bird-friendly coffee is certified organic, but its impact on the environment goes further than that: it is cultivated specifically to maintain bird habitats instead of clearing vegetation that birds and other animals rely on.
Read more at Virginia Tech
Image: A blackburnian warbler perches on a coffee bush in a shade-coffee farm in Colombia. Photo by Virginia Tech's Guillermo Santos. (Credit: Virginia Tech)
