The Painted Bunting is a brightly colored bird that would look more at home in the tropics. The bright blue head, red chest, and green feathers are difficult to miss for any bird-watcher. Painted Buntings are migratory songbirds. Found in two distinct regions of the United States during the spring and summer, they typically migrate to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America for the winter. A few birds remain in Florida year-round. Scientists have observed a significant decrease in Painted Buntings and attribute the decline primarily to habitat loss, parasitism, and trapping. The songbirds usually breed and nest in areas with "shrub-scrub" habitat, low-lying vegetation found in coastal regions and forests. In 1966, volunteer citizens began working with scientists to observe and count breeding birds in a wide-scale effort known as the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). This research has enabled wildlife biologists to determine long-term population trends. Scientists have also used the data to develop new management strategies for helping the Painted Bunting recover in areas with the sharpest decline. From +966 to 1995, the survey documented a 3.2 percent annual decline in Painted Buntings. This means that there has been a population decline of approximately 60 percent. Current conservation priorities include stabilizing Painted Bunting communities on the coastal islands of Georgia and South Carolina as well as preserving critical habitat in Arizona and northwestern Mexico.

Question

The Painted Bunting is a brightly colored bird that would look more at home in the tropics. The bright blue head, red chest, and green feathers are difficult to miss for any bird-watcher. Painted Buntings are migratory songbirds. Found in two distinct regions of the United States during the spring and summer, they typically migrate to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America for the winter. A few birds remain in Florida year-round. Scientists have observed a significant decrease in Painted Buntings and attribute the decline primarily to habitat loss, parasitism, and trapping. The songbirds usually breed and nest in areas with "shrub-scrub" habitat, low-lying vegetation found in coastal regions and forests. In 1966, volunteer citizens began working with scientists to observe and count breeding birds in a wide-scale effort known as the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). This research has enabled wildlife biologists to determine long-term population trends. Scientists have also used the data to develop new management strategies for helping the Painted Bunting recover in areas with the sharpest decline. From +966 to 1995, the survey documented a 3.2 percent annual decline in Painted Buntings. This means that there has been a population decline of approximately 60 percent. Current conservation priorities include stabilizing Painted Bunting communities on the coastal islands of Georgia and South Carolina as well as preserving critical habitat in Arizona and northwestern Mexico.

How does the author show that the declining population of Painted Buntings is linked to habitat loss?

• 1. by stating that "preserving critical habitat" is a conservation priority
• 2. by indicating that the population has decreased by "approximately 60 percent"
• 3. by identifying specific habitats in different parts of the world to which the birds migrate
• 4. by explaining that the birds usually breed and nest in a habitat with low-lying vegetation

Answer 1

The author shows that the declining population of Painted Buntings is linked to habitat loss by explaining that the birds usually breed and nest in a habitat with low-lying vegetation. This implies that if their preferred habitat is lost or destroyed, their ability to reproduce and survive is significantly impacted.