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Brianna Deitz, Jacqueline Sloat, Lexi Watson

Ms. Koob

Environmental Science, B4

1 May 2018

Conservation of Habitat in Migration Corridors

Birds of the Sky Foundation is dedicated to the preservation of habitats to protect all

species of birds. There are various contributors to habitat fragmentation such as human activity,

which primarily involves urbanization and agriculture that affect habitat fragmentation. Our

organization supports prevention and mitigation of fragmentation. Habitat fragmentation is a

serious problem all over the world. As housing communities and commercial centers are

developed, it must be taken into consideration how to include preservation in our designs. As

society destroy forests, it must consider how to create wildlife corridors. Birds need their

habitats to thrive and to play their role in our natural ecosystem. In 2016 there were 432 birds

cited as in need of conservation on the must watch list published by the American Bird

Conservancy. Most birds on the must watch are protected by the Migratory Bird Act and one

third have additional protections under the Endangered Species Act.

Habitat fragmentation is a result of human causes and natural causes. Habitat

fragmentation is the disruption of a natural larger habitat “into a number of smaller patches of

smaller total area, isolated from each other by a matrix of habitats unlike the original”. As

humans clear land for purposes of agriculture, rural development and urbanization habitats

become divided. The clearing creates separate fragments isolated from each other leading to the

impact on the wildlife dependent on the original habitat. The smaller habitats support smaller
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numbers of species and impacts migration which is required for breeding and healthy species.

Habitat loss is the biggest cause of bird decline.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act is a US federal law placed in 1918. This law protects any

migrating bird from being taken, imported, exported, sold, purchased, or bartered due to its

illegality. Also, taking any fraction of the nests or eggs is prohibited unless a person has an

issued permit. One species that has noticeably benefited and thrived from this Act is the snowy

egret. Before the Act was put into place, this bird had been forced nearly to extinction due to the

high demand for its ‘delicate feathers’. Now, this bird is the furthest from extinction, as are about

1,000 other species, thanks to this Act. The Endangered Species Act protects and recuperates

endangered species and the ecosystems they live in. For example, if there is an endangered bird

that habitats an area that area cannot be developed in order to protect the bird species, the species

will be registered under the Endangered Species Act as either endangered or threatened.

The potential consequences society may face without the preservation of migration

corridors are detrimental. Primarily, without the presence and upkeep of these migration

corridors, wildlife is sure to diminish as their homes, no matter how temporary, are damaged or

without proper resources needed to thrive. It is difficult and nearly possible for birds or any

animal for that matter to change their entire migration progression due to unstable or unhealthy

circumstances in their corridors. With the potential loss of these habitats and corridors, society

again becomes responsible for the loss of life and the possible extinction of animals which once

thrived and populated this Earth.

In this up and coming society of companies building and expanding, the preservation of

wildlife is not being protected. To stop this decline of destroying wildlife it is up to communities

all around to help stop the destroying of wildlife habitats. Communities are a major component
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to help save wildlife because communities have the power to start petitions and support the

preservation of wildlife. Communities not only have the power to start petitions but by

exercising the first amendment by peaceful protesting and campaigning of voicing concerns and

actions of preserving the wildlife habitats. Communities tend to have a domino effect when one

community takes a stand on this issue then soon communities will join in stopping the

demolishing of natural wildlife. Another major solution to this issue is the government can and

should get involved in this serious problem. If the government got involved there can be high

hopes to stop businesses from expanding their companies even more and taking up unnecessary

land. The government needs to take action because soon there will be no wildlife to protect only

a multitude of businesses. There are various options and action to help stop businesses from

taking over natural wildlife and every option should be utilized for the benefit of the planet earth

as we know it.

Although the preservation of the migration corridors is supported and back by many,

however some do not agree with it. Often people find this preservation to be ‘trivial’ and

‘unimportant’ in the grand scheme of things. In fact, many are completely unaware of what these

migration corridors are and what role they play in the lives of birds and other species. So, why

fixate and worry over something unheard of? This is the exact kind of mindset which brought so

many animals to extinction already. Birds play an important part in the ecosystem as well, and

without certain species, society runs the risk of things like overpopulation of insects and rodents

and more. What needs to be brought to attention is that these migration corridors are absolutely

essential to the migration of these birds. It is the manner in which they navigate and reach their

final destinations. Now, the fact that there are not many migration corridors specific federal laws

in place is not helpful to the argument of the vitality of its preservation. However, society is
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moving forward in its awareness and appreciation of the corridors, and hopefully the government

will follow in its footsteps. Habitats corridors that are getting destroyed are from different

contributors that are paying for something to take the place of those habitats. Usually businesses

are the main reason why habitats are declining. Some are opposed to preserving the wildlife

habitats simply because businesses bring in money and habitats do not. Businesses are being

built for the sole purposes of money intake not caring about what is currently there. Overall,

companies want to expand their businesses or companies and by the wildlife in the way it makes

it difficult for them to expand their means of living.

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