04/08/2026
Twelve species that used to live in American backyards. Most people over forty remember them. Children today often haven't seen them. They haven't moved — they're disappearing from the same places they've always lived. The causes are almost always the same four things: poison, concrete, light, and excessive tidiness. 🌿
Chimney swift — down over 70% since 1970. They nest exclusively in hollow chimneys and vertical cavities. Modern capped and sealed chimneys eliminate nesting sites. Install a swift tower — a purpose-built vertical box at least 10 feet tall — in an open area to attract colonies.
Barn swallow — down roughly 30% across North America. They build mud nests on structures and return to the same nest for years. Renovations destroy active nests, which is illegal under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Never remove an active nest. Install nesting ledges under eaves on outbuildings.
Fireflies — significant decline documented, no single nationwide figure. Light pollution is the primary driver — a single light source within 30 feet can make mating signals invisible. Turn off outdoor lights after 10pm from May through July. Leave areas of unmowed grass for larvae, which live in soil for up to two years hunting slugs.
American toad — declining across much of their range. Roads cut spring migration to breeding ponds — thousands are killed in March and April. Slug bait poisons them through their prey. Add a small pond and a ramp exit to any pool. Zero slug pellets.
Little brown bat — catastrophic decline in eastern populations, over 90% in some areas, from white-nose syndrome compounded by habitat loss. They roost behind siding, shutters, and in attics. Renovations seal every gap. Install a bat house on a south-facing wall at least 12 feet up. Lights off after dark.
Purple martin — declining colony nesters that depend entirely on human-provided housing in the eastern US. Put up a colonial martin house on a pole in an open area with a clear flight path. They eat thousands of flying insects per day.
Mason bees and native solitary bees — an estimated 50%+ decline in many native bee species. Over 70% nest in bare ground — not in insect hotels. Leave patches of bare, unmulched, undisturbed soil in a sunny spot. Add hollow stem bundles and an insect house. Maintain bloom from March through October.
Burrowing owl — declining across their western US range. They nest in existing burrows dug by prairie dogs and ground squirrels. Rodenticides kill their prey and poison them secondarily. Zero rodenticide use in their range.
Barn owl — declining, with secondary rodenticide poisoning as the leading documented cause. Studies show high percentages of barn owls testing positive for anticoagulant rodenticide residues. Install a barn owl nest box in a barn or outbuilding. Absolute zero on rodenticide products.
Eastern box turtle — declining across most of their range from road mortality, pesticide accumulation, and habitat fragmentation. They're slow enough that lawn equipment kills them. Keep leaf litter undisturbed in corners of the yard. Stop pesticide use in areas where they forage.
Eastern glass lizard — declining, often killed by mistake when identified as a snake. They eat slugs and ground insects and live in leaf litter and brush piles. A legless lizard with eyelids. Leave it alone.
Monarch butterfly — eastern population down roughly 80% since the 1990s. Plant native milkweed — the only larval host plant. Add late-season nectar plants like goldenrod and asters. Zero pesticide use.
The thread connecting all twelve: poison, sealed buildings, light at night, and overly tidy yards. The garden that saves wildlife is the one the perfectionist gardener can't stand — and that nature visits every night. 🌱
