The Silent Flight: A Red-Tailed Hawk’s Plea for Nature 

I still soar above the fields, my wings slicing through the air as I watch over the land below. But something feels different. The world beneath me is changing, and it’s fading away, piece by piece.

I am a red-tailed hawk, a hunter that once kept the balance of nature. My eyes scan the earth, searching for movement, for life. Yet, what I once knew is vanishing, and the signs are everywhere.

 The Silence of Nature

Since 1970, North America has lost 3 billion birds. The skies should be alive with the chirping of songbirds, yet a chilling silence has taken their place. Insects, the very foundation of the food chain, have plummeted by 75% in the past 50 years. The buzzing of bees, the fluttering of butterflies, and the hum of life seem to be slowly fading into memory.

Songbirds, once abundant and full of song, can no longer find enough food to raise their young. The small insects that once crawled through the grass and flew through the air have disappeared. One treated lawn can kill up to 80% of insects in just two days, wiping out an entire food source for birds and small creatures.

 When the Food Chain Breaks

Pesticides are spreading like a poison, infecting the very land that sustains life. The insects, the beetles, the bees — they die. And when they fall, the songbirds starve, unable to find enough to survive. Without these songbirds, my kind — the raptors, the predators at the top — begin to vanish too. The balance is disrupted, and the ecosystem unravels.

The chain that once connected us all, from the tiniest ant to the soaring hawk, is breaking.

 What You Can Do

But there is still hope, and it lies in your hands.

• Plant native wildflowers: These flowers provide vital food and habitat for insects, giving them the chance to thrive once again.

• Leave part of your yard unmowed: By allowing the natural growth of grasses and plants, you create spaces for insects to flourish.

• Stop using pesticides: These chemicals are not only deadly to insects, but they poison the very earth that sustains all life.

• Use bird-safe windows: Glass can be a silent killer for birds. Protect them by making your windows safer.

When insects return, birds return. And when birds return — I can live again. My wings will soar across fields once more, and the music of life will fill the air.

Let the Earth Sing Once More

We are all connected, and the web of life is fragile. But if we act now, we can help restore the balance that has been lost. The Earth’s song is waiting to be heard again, and it starts with the small actions we take today.

Let the earth sing once more.