Birds in North America Find Support in Their Migration Route
by Gustavo Carrasquel - ANCA 24
The Mississippi River is a long river located in North America that runs through the central part of the United States. It has a length of 3,770 km2, and only one of its affluents, the Missouri, is the longest in the region.Born in the southwest of the state of Montana (Canadian border), at the confluence of three rivers, (Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin), which have their sources in the Rocky Mountains and flows into the Gulf of Mexico.
The Organization “Mississippi River Delta Restoration” is organizing a tour to support the migration of fall 2012. In the months of October and November, will be taking place events along the Mississippi River to set out the importance of the role played by the Delta of the River and maintain healthy migratory routes of more than 400 species of birds.
The Mississippi migratory route is one of the largest in North America, millions of birds that come from Alaska and Canada, usually migrate south in the fall and north in the spring.
Birds apparently used this route because there are no mountains blocking their path, making the trip easier and more direct. Moreover, this route also provides easy access to food and water.
Around 40 percent of all migrating aquatic birds and shorebirds in North America, use the Mississippi migratory route, which represents the largest number of bird species found in the region.
The Mississippi River Delta is very compatible with more than 400 species of birds, providing favorable breeding habitats. Its biodiversity is composed of natural areas where they nest about 100 million birds each year including approximately 5 million ducks and geese.
Unfortunately after decades of abuse and mismanagement, the Delta is disappearing rapidly and sank in the Gulf of Mexico.
A study conducted by scientists at the University of California in which we compared the most polluted coastal ecosystems and endangered dirty earth proved to be the mouth of the Mississippi River the largest coastal habitat with pollution problems.
According to the study “the waste of nutrients coming down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico are responsible for the high level of pollution. These nutrients have created a permanent dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico to the produce an excessive population of algae that feed on them and trapping most of the oxygen taking it away from other marine organisms that need to survive. “
The collapse of the Delta has the potential to disrupt this migration path, reducing not only the number of birds, but also along the entire migratory route many species can disappear.
The MRDR Organization develops campaigns to improve conditions in connecting the Mississippi River and its wetlands, concerned about the disappearance or contamination of these important ecosystems.
The MRDR will encourage tourism events in the upcoming months to raise awareness of this problem and attract activists to engage in the fight to restore the the Mississippi River Delta.
For more information on this campaign visit:
http://www.mississippiriverdelta.org/take-action/fall-2012-migration-tour/
