Sentinels of the skies: what disappearing birds are telling us

BirdLife International’s new State of the World’s Birds report has delivered a warning about the health of our planet - and how we should respond.

When I’m out birding, I’m paying attention to more than the names and calls of the birds. Which species are there? What are they feeding on? What habitat is supporting them? What might be missing? These questions are all inseparable. Because birds tell us about Country. Their presence, behaviour and seasonal movements help us understand the relationships that keep it alive.

That’s why BirdLife International’s new State of the World’s Birds report deserves our attention. It describes birds as “sentinels of the skies”: indicators of planetary health.

And the warnings are getting louder. It finds that 61% of the world’s bird species have declining populations. One in nine are currently facing extinction.

These figures should concern anyone who depends on clean water, functioning ecosystems and a liveable climate. That means all of us. Birds occur across the world and are better studied than most other groups of animals. Their populations respond to changes in habitat, food supplies, pollution and climate. Their decline gives us evidence of damage spreading through the natural systems that sustain our lives.

BirdLife’s report this year focuses particularly on migratory birds. And their journeys make these connections visible across continents. Think about a shorebird like this Eastern Curlew feeding on an Australian tidal flat. That patch of mud is part of an international network of feeding grounds, resting places and breeding habitat. Its survival here also depends on wetlands in the Yellow Sea and conditions in the Arctic.

Destroy a critical stopping or breeding place and the consequences can travel thousands of kilometres. For Australia, BirdLife’s findings are especially troubling. More than half the species using the East Asian-Australasian Flyway are declining, the highest proportion among the four major flyway systems. Of 15 migratory shorebird species monitored in Australia, 13 declined over the periods assessed. Four dropped by more than half. Eastern Curlews have dropped by up to 80% over three generations, largely because of habitat loss.

Those losses represent birds that will no longer arrive, feed, breed or make the return journey. They also tell us something about the condition of our coasts and our willingness to protect the places on which life depends.

Climate change is adding further pressure. The report describes how earlier Arctic snowmelt is already associated with smaller chicks with shorter bills. Later, at their tropical non-breeding grounds, these birds struggle to reach prey buried deep in the mud. A change in one hemisphere affects survival in another. Country is connected, whether our policies and politicians recognise that or not.

For me, this reinforces the importance of listening carefully to the living world. In caring for Country, observation comes with responsibility. When the signs tell us something is wrong, we have an obligation to respond.

There’s good evidence that action works. On Macquarie Island, the removal of introduced animals has allowed seabirds to recover. Blue and Grey Petrels have recolonised the main island, with substantial population growth. The same principle applies more broadly. Protect wetlands. Restore damaged habitat. Control invasive species. Reduce disturbance at feeding and roosting sites. Cut fossil fuel emissions. Plan renewable energy carefully. Support First Nations and local communities to care for the places they know.

And for migratory birds, we must work across borders. Having served as a diplomat, I see their journeys as a reminder of why international cooperation matters. No country can secure their future alone. We already have much of the knowledge needed. BirdLife’s report makes clear that implementation is falling far behind the scale of the problem.

So next time you watch a bird feeding, hear its call or welcome its seasonal return, consider what makes that moment possible: habitat, food, water, climate and countless ecological relationships. Then consider what its disappearance could be telling us. The sentinels are sounding the alarm. We need to listen and act.

An Eastern Curlew at the Broome Bird Sancutary.