What's Causing the Decline of the Songbirds?

Just what has been the cause of the decline of the wood thrush and many of its thrush relatives, the birds with the hauntingly beautiful flute-like songs in the forests of the Northeast?

The wood thrush population in New York has decreased by 45%, according to a major study recently completed and reported. (This NY Times article will not be available after a few days). Click here for a summary.

Analysis of the birds themselves has revealed that they have high mercury levels, a startling find considering that thrushes do not eat fish from mercury-laden waters. Where is all this mercury coming from? According to most reports, from coal-burning power plants in Ohio and other states in the Midwest. The contaminants fall as rain and enter the soil, where it is picked up by worms and insects, the food of the wood thrush and many other songbirds. It's been known for many years that mercury contamination has disrupted the reproduction of waterbirds, and, for the first time, it is now believed to play a role in the decline of the wood thrush.

With what we know about the relationship of coal burning and global warming, why are industries (and some consumers) still pigheadedly using it? Because it's cheap. Yeah, the same old song, cheap now, but our children and grandchildren will pay later.