Many native Australian bird species are declining. Birds of
garden, water, scrub and woodland are showing marked falls in
their populations says a new report by Birds Australia (BirdLife
in Australia). The encouraging news is that the status of some
species is improving as a result of conservation action. This is
the sixth 'the state of Australia's birds' report, and presents
an up-to-date overview of the health of bird populations in
Australia and the main challenges to their sustainability. This
2008 report focuses on trends in bird populations revealed by
around 50 long-term monitoring programs that have been running
for up to 40 years. Trends in bird populations are mixed, but
more species are in decline than were reported in 2003. Common
birds are far less common than they once were, for example
populations of the familiar Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
have slumped. "Many, and perhaps most, of our native birds are
in decline for a range of reasons including habitat loss and
introduced predators",