Bridget Stutchbury’s Silence of the Songbirds takes the reader from the tropics of Central America to America’s Heartland and helps us understand why migratory songbird populations in North America are mysteriously declining. 

Stutchbury outlines many of the factors which may have led to an almost 50% decline in songbirds over the past forty years.  Loss of breeding habitat, use of pesticides, climate change, predation pressures, and the light pollution from major metropolitan areas are all named as suspects, but much of the attention is given to deforestation and fragmentation of tropical forests in Latin America.  Why should we care?  Songbirds do an enormous amount of work for ecosystems across the globe. They work to control pests that destroy important crops and help to disperse seeds.

Bridget Stutchbury is a well-known birding expert and has researched birds for more than two decades.  Fortunately for the reader, none of this gets in the way of her story-telling ability.  Thanks to Stutchbury’s personal connection to her subjects, and her love of fact-finding, Songbirds is highly readable and often gives the impression of being a cross between a memoir and a detective novel.  Illustrations by Julie Zickefoose are an unexpected highlight of Songbirds, providing visual inspiration for a very compelling concern.

Unlike other authors who call attention to historical wrongs and impending catastrophes without offering a solution, Stutchbury gives the reader realistic tips on how to turn the tide and prevent further loss of migratory songbird populations.  A helpful list is included in the Epilogue, providing both concrete actions and an understanding of how each action will impact the health of bird populations. For the complete list of Stutchbury’s tips, please visit our website or pick up Silence of the Songbirds at your local library.