Growing cities contribute to habitat loss for birds and other wildlife, but what happens in urban backyards can make a big difference.
In 50 years, North America has lost 29% of its bird population due in part to urban sprawl. But, dozens of bird species — such as robins, cardinals, chickadees, woodpeckers and more — can flourish in the urban environment through habitats created in backyards.
Emily Minor studies urban and landscape ecology at the University of Illinois Chicago and said housing developments and agriculture can cause habitat fragmentation — when wild spaces are smaller and farther apart.
“Habitat loss is probably the biggest cause globally of declines in biodiversity. There is no debate about that. It's really clear,” Minor said. “But the effects of habitat fragmentation are less clear and may actually benefit some species while harming others.”
Minor’s research shows backyards can be a major source of bird habitats in urban environments, and those spaces can help combat biodiversity decline.
“If you have neighborhoods where people have lots of what we call wildlife resources in their yard — so trees, shrubs, plants with fruits or berries, native plants, water, brush piles — neighborhoods that had more of those had much higher diversity than neighborhoods that had less of them,” Minor said.
Minor said backyards that contain diverse vegetation at varying heights enable birds to eat, nest and rear their young.
Bright city lights can also make a community inhospitable to birds. Light pollution can disrupt bird migrations and can increase fatal bird collisions into windows and other structures. The challenges of excess light expands as cities grow, and Columbia’s population increased by 6.5% from 2020 to 2024.
Allison Vaughn is a conservationist with the Columbia Audubon Society and the Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative. She said small changes to reduce light pollution around your home can have a big effect on birds.
“Turn off artificial lights at night. Turn off any kind of flood lights,” Vaughn said. “If you have lights and you need them on for security reasons, make sure that they have covers to force the light down to the ground where the actual light is needed and not being broadcast into the sky.”
Vaughn is working to get Rock Bridge Memorial State Park in Columbia designated as an Urban Night Sky Place, which would indicate that the sky above and around the park have little to no light pollution and is safe for birds.
Minor said many of the same factors that support pollinator habitat, such as promoting native species, also help birds. She added that wildlife in urban environments can be an entry point for communities to connect with nature and bolster it.
“Just by creating the opportunity for a couple birds to pass through, that can really spark an interest that I think can have important long-term consequences for people just starting to notice and pay attention to nature,” Minor said.
