Bird expert James Zook has been collecting records on nearly 430 kinds of tropical birds on farms and natural forests in Central America for 18 years. While birds do best in natural rainforests, Zook said some species usually found in forests can establish populations in "diversified farms".
"In these diversified farms, you see growth over the long term in bird species with specialized needs, which include safe and protected areas from the sun for birds to build their homes and different kinds of food sources. Besides, that kind of farming is very different to industrial agriculture or agriculture where only one crop like pineapple or bananas are planted, " said Nicholas Hendershot in a recent study.
University of California environmental scientist Natalia Ocampo-Penuela, who was not involved in the study, notes that the research provides rare detailed data over a long period, demonstrating that diversified farming can support forest bird populations.
The study reveals that 75 percent of the 305 bird species found in diversified farms showed stable or growing populations over the study period. This includes birds like the collared aracari and members of the manakin family known for their complex mating dances.
Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center scientist Ruth Bennett, although not involved in the research, said, "It's a huge contribution to have documented that some birds aren't just going there, but staying there and populations are growing. "
Still, such safe environments, called habitats, do not balance out overall population losses from the creation of large industrial farms from natural forests, the writers warned. Zook compared a large pineapple farm to a "bird desert. "
Increasingly, scientists say saving species will require paying attention to areas affected by humans, not just untouched areas. Ocampo-Penuela says that conservation efforts should extend beyond protected areas to areas where some species can live.
