环球英语 — 346：Bird Problems
Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight program. I’m Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Since the beginning of time, one animal has amazed humans. This animal sings beautiful songs. It lives on every continent of the planet. It comes in many different sizes and colors. Its form suggested new technologies to human inventors - like airplanes. What animal is it? It is the bird. But life is not always easy for these winged creatures. And people are often to blame. Today’s Spotlight is on birds and the problems they face. We will also look at how people are protecting birds.
Voice 2
Birds are amazing animals, but bird populations are very sensitive. Many things can affect them. And for the past fifty [50] years, populations of birds in many areas have been growing smaller. Some scientists have said that up to twelve percent of bird species are in danger of dying off. This means that many kinds of birds may soon disappear.
Voice 1
But what is causing bird populations to drop? Scientists say that there are many reasons why this is happening. But the main reason is loss of habitat. The birds are losing their homes.
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Birds live in many different kinds of places - in forests, and fields, villages and cities. But when these areas change, the birds have to change too. People change these habitats in many ways - by cutting down forests, by making new farm land, by building cities and roads in new places. These are not always bad activities. But they do change the areas for birds.
Voice 1
Some birds react well. For example, some birds live very well in cities. But others do not. They cannot find new places to make their homes, nests. So they may stop breeding and having babies. They may not be able to find their usual kinds of food. And often they also lose their usual kinds of protection. They can no longer hide in their usual places.
Voice 2
As cities expand, wild lands grow smaller. And there are fewer places for some kinds of birds to live.
Voice 1
Another problem facing birds is change in temperature. Many birds migrate. As the seasons change, they travel from cold areas to warmer areas. But global warming is changing this. As winters become warmer, birds migrate at different times, and to different places. Birds depend on particular foods when they arrive at a new place. If the birds arrive too early, that food may not be there.
Voice 2
This is a big problem for birds. Many birds eat only very particular foods. That is one reason birds have many different shapes and sizes. Some birds have long thin beaks to help them drink liquid from flowers. Other birds have strong beaks for breaking open seeds and nuts. Many birds only eat a few particular things. If these things, such as plants or insects, disappear, then so do the birds.
Voice 1
But birds are not only affected by large problems like global warming and changing habitats. Smaller things can also affect birds.
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Scientists have found that light from cities can affect birds. Large cities create a lot of heat and a lot of light. At night, skies are bright around many cities. And this light affects migrating birds.
Voice 1
But the light is not the only problem. The large city buildings are dangers to birds. When birds migrate, they travel along particular paths. These paths are often based on light from the moon and stars. But when birds come close to large cities, these paths must change. The bright lights of the tall city buildings pull the birds off their paths.
Voice 2
Sometimes the birds crash into the buildings at night. But even if they do not hit the buildings, they may become lost. They may fly around the buildings until they become very tired. In the morning they try to escape the city. But the buildings are still dangerous. Birds cannot see glass well - often, they will fly right into glass windows
Voice 1
Joanna Eckles works for a group called Project Bird Safe in Minneapolis Minnesota. She talked about her work with a local radio station:
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“We are working with the building owners, managers, and workers to get the lights turned off. This will let the birds migrating through to pass over without getting trapped in the city.”
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More cities around the world are turning the lights off during migration season. This will give birds a better chance at staying on the right path.
Voice 1
But turning lights off is not the only way people are helping birds. In Kazakhstan, scientists are recovering land that was damaged by cows. This area is now a good place for birds to live. This is part of a larger plan by international groups to protect bird areas. For example, all through Asia, people are working with government officials to protect the homes of water birds.
Voice 2
Around the world, groups are also protecting birds in Important Bird Areas, or IBA’s. An IBA is a special area of land. Birds depend on these areas for raising their babies. And they depend on these areas for food. And migrating birds depend on these areas as a safe place to stop along their travels.
Voice 1
Laws do not force land owners to protect the IBA land. Most land owners choose to protect the IBA’s because they know that these areas are special and important. But what makes these areas important?
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To be an IBA, an area must meet particular conditions. For example, an IBA may provide a habitat to an endangered kind of bird. That is, an IBA may be the home for birds that are in danger of disappearing completely. Or, an IBA may be the home for migrating birds, or shorebirds on the edge of an ocean. And finally, an IBA may be the home for birds who can only live in a very particular area.
Voice 1
Creating special areas for birds will help the bird populations to recover. Turning off lights at night can help them survive. People threaten the future of birds, but we can also work to help them. We can help the birds to continue singing their songs.
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