A survey of the tricolored blackbird population released Wednesday found that just 145,000 birds remain in California, down from millions a century ago when large flocks were said to blacken the sky.
Perhaps most alarming to scientists is the bird’s recent rate of decline. The survey, led by UC Davis in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Audubon California, indicated that the population of blackbirds fell 64 percent since 2008 and 44 percent since 2011.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Blackbird-population-falling-at-alarming-rate-5562700.php